Minister Mzila of Zimbabwe must be released without further delay

Statement by LI Vice-President Minister Lamine Ba
“Minister Mzila of Zimbabwe must be released without further delay”
Following the news of the arrest of Moses Mzila-Ndlovu, the Minister of National Healing and Reconciliation in the Government of National Unity of Zimbabwe, Liberal International Vice-President and President of the Africa Liberal Network, Minister Lamine Ba, expressed a message of solidarity and requested an immediate release of Minister Mzila.
“The news from Zimbabwe on the arrest of Minister Mzila-Ndlovu is deeply disturbing. We, liberals of Liberal International and Africa Liberal Network, condemn the arrest in the strongest possible terms. Those who characterized this move by the Mugabe-controlled police as a shameful “hypocrisy” are absolutely right. It constitutes unnecessary provocation and harassment.
Moses is known in Zimbabwe and abroad (particularly in the liberal world) for his wise, moderate and lawful approach. We know him very well and we can say: he is not a criminal and he would not have run away. Minister Mzila is a defender of Human Rights and rule of law in Zimbabwe. So, he must be released without further delay”, said LI Vice President Ba.
He continued: “This act is not about rule of law. It is not even about implementation of a draconian legislation imposed by the current regime to prosecute political opponents. It seems the only purpose is to keep in jail over the long weekend a person, a Member of Parliament, a Minister, who fought all his life for freedom and justice. This is an imprisonment of freedom of speech and freedom of thought. Ironically, it is on the day when we celebrate 31 years of Zimbabwe’s independence, for which Moses has fought his entire life.”
We, liberals from Liberal International and Africa Liberal Network, request justice and freedom for Minister Mzila. The Vice President of the Africa Liberal Network in the region, Mr Clement Stambuli, will follow the situation in Harare and report to our different offices and to our liberal partners around the world.
London/Dakar, 18 April 2011