Zimbabwe: Student Arrested For "Assaulting" Mugabe's Nephew at Constitutional Conference

A ZANU PF supporter is restrained by a policeman at the podium at Harare International Conference Centre, where the MDC-T had tried to resume the All Stakeholders Conference on the Constitution after earlier disruptions. The police had removed ZANU PF supporters while some MDC-T remained seated, including Tendai Biti, the Minister of Finance. The ZANU PF disruptors were brought back into the hall, however, and that is when they stormed the podium and it was clear that there would be no conference. Mugabe and Tsvangirai are now saying they had not been invited to the Conference.

A leader and delegate from ZINASU, the Zimbabwe National Students' Union has been arrested by police for allegedly assaulting Mugabe's nephew and former Deputy Minister of Science and Technology, Patrick Zhuwao.

Zhuwao, who happens to be Mugabe's favourite nephew, was not hurt in the attack, it appears. But the eight o'clock television news tonight in Zimbabwe reported the arrest and blamed the entire thing on the MDC.

Yet it is clear that ZANU PF people started shouting the moment Lovemore Moyo, the Speaker, stood up to speak.

On why Mugabe, Tsvangirai and Mutambara all failed to pitch up at the event, where Mugabe was supposed to deliver the opening address, and Tsvangirai a key-note speech, state Television says the leaders now claim that they had not been invited.

They were only invited today, was the line.

Yet, even on Saturday, the State newspaper, the Herald, led with the story of the Constitution conference and announced that it would be opened by Mugabe. Mugabe spoke about teh Conference on Friday at the burial of a national hero at Heroes Acre.

The two men, The Solution and Prime Minister Mini-me, were holed up at State House in a fired-up meeting as the conference started.

It also appears that Mugabe has now decided to make his dirty business a family affair. It is now said by insiders that Zhuwao and Kasukuwere were goaded into this action by Mugabe himself, plotting behind the high walls of the green-roofed villa the president now calls home in Helensvale.

Zhuwao led the people who disrupted the proceedings. He knew where he was coming from.

When riot police arrived, Zhuwao then pointed out the guy who had "assaulted" him and the student was led away. He is still in police custody and is probably going to be made an example of.

So, despite the fact that the disruptions were started by ZANU PF, it is MDC-T supporters who are getting arrested. The student arrested by the police was described on State television this evening as "a member of ZINASU and an MDC supporter."

ZTV also told the nation that MDC-T supporters came into the hall wearing party T-shirts in order to provoke ZANU PF.

It was further alleged that Lovemore Moyo, the speaker, when he arrived in the hall and waved to the gathered crowd, was in fact giving an MDC salute and that this is what led "war vets" and rural women bussed into the Conference venue by ZANU PF to shout at him and disrupt his speech.

"They felt he was being partisan", said the newsreader. (I am afraid I do not keep newsreaders name in my mind, so I do not know what her name is).

Of course, we all know it "Her Master's Voice" speaking.