JUSTICE IN ZIMBABWE
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He said that the Society’s enabling statute should be reviewed urgently by Parliament
to ensure that British and other imperialist donors do not compromise it.
The arrests
On the morning of Monday the 3 June 2002 about ten policemen, most of them in riot
squad gear, searched the Law Society office and arrested Mr Wilbert Mapombere, the
society’s secretary.
Shortly after 2.00 pm plainclothes policemen from the Law and Order Section arrived
at the law firm where Mr Moyo practises. Detective Inspector Dohwa announced that
Mr Moyo was under arrest for an alleged contravention of the Public Order and
Security Act. He produced a search warrant. Mr Moyo indicated to DI Dohwa that the
search warrant was invalid because it was vague and non-specific. He also pointed out
that the searching of his client files would be a violation of attorney and client
privilege. The police nonetheless insisted on searching his office. They did not find
anything of interest to them. They then took Mr Moyo to his residential home and
carried out a search of these premises. They took away only one document, which was
a paper that Mr Moyo had recently presented at a SADC Lawyers Association
conference in Zambia.
Mr Moyo was then taken to Harare Central Police Station. He was able to speak
briefly to the lawyers who had come represent him. He could not tell them much as he
had not yet been told about the particulars of the charge. The police then questioned
him and showed him two letters, which formed the basis of the allegations against
them. The first was on Law Society letterhead paper. It purported to be from Mr
Mapombere (in that it bore a signature purporting to be his) and was addressed to the
British High Commission, though not to any specific person there. It reads as follows:
“RE: RULE OF LAW AND POINT OF ACTION
Further to our communications, we suggest that from now onwards our
communications should be in writing and by hand post straight to the receiver.
We are grateful for the support you have given us in order to restore the rule of law in
Zimbabwe. At the moment as a Law Society we are embarking on a vigorous campaign
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