Budiriro Member of Parliament, Costa Machingauta, of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) has been arrested on charges of participating in an illegal meeting. According to the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum, Machingauta handed himself in to the police on Tuesday morning after reports that he was on the run.
Machingauta is the 26th CCC member to be arrested in connection to the alleged unsanctioned meeting, which took place at his residence in Budiriro. Fellow legislator Amos Chibaya and 24 activists were also arrested on the same day.
The investigating officer in court stated that Machingauta, who owns the house where the meeting was held, was on the run, despite the fact that he was present in court and had been frequenting the police station with food for his fellow opposition supporters. He is also charged with holding an illegal meeting.
Machingauta is due to appear in court for his initial remand. The arrest of the CCC members has sparked criticism from human rights groups, who claim that the arrests are politically motivated.
