An alert just published by the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC):

Most Harare public transporters have today been diverted from their normal routes by Zanu PF thugs who blocked roads with the help of the police to direct people towards their so-called anti-restrictive measures campaign. Dozens of open Lorries and rickety buses commandeered from the rural areas with youths donning Zanu PF outfits and chanting the party’s slogans could be seen heading towards the venue. In Mbare, the city’s oldest suburb, major public markets are closed. All vendors were forced to attend the so-called ceremony.

At the Magistrate’s court in Harare today, the case of Munyaradzi Gwisai of the International Socialist Organisation (Zimbabwe) and 44 activists who have been arrested and charged with treason for watching and discussing a DVD of material about recent political events in Egypt continued.

The court is currently hearing an application for refusal of placement on remand by the lawyer for the accused, Alec Muchadehama of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights.

Today the court heard Gwisai be cross examined by the prosecution, and also herd testimony from Antonater Choto and from a woman who sells airtime in the building and was caught up in events when the police raided the meeting.

The state was then expected to present its response to Muchadehama’s application. However, it argued that its submissions were lengthy, and the court agreed to receive them in writing.

The Magistrate then reported that he is unavailable to hear the matter for the rest of the week – and can only resume the case next week Monday. All 45 accused have been remanded in custody until at least that date. By next week Monday, they will have spent 16 nights in custody.

From Bulawayo Agenda:

Two people were called in by Gwanda police for discussing events in Libya. The two were driving from Bulawayo to Gwanda when they picked up a passenger along the way while discussing the subject. The passenger went on to report the two at Gwanda Police Station, leading to their calling in. The two were also called in to explain why they were playing a Kwaito Music Tune called ‘Imot’ etshontshimali’- meaning a car that steals money. This name has been given to the infamous BMW cars being driven by traffic cops who are known for their asking for bribes.

Here’s a press release from Magamba. Get on down to the Book Cafe this Thursday!

MAGAMBA CULTURAL ACTIVIST NETWORK AND PAMBERI TRUST TO HOST MUSIC FREEDOM DAY IN ZIMBABWE

THURSDAY 3 MARCH, **7PM** *

*THE BOOK CAFÉ *

Music Freedom Day will be celebrated in Zimbabwe on March 3rd at the Book Café in Harare. The event organized by leading arts organisations Magamba the Cultural Activist Network and Pamberi Trust will feature a fantastic array of Zimbabwean artists who support the message of freedom of musical expression. Music Freedom Day is an annual event where musicians, music clubs, cultural institutions, broadcasters and media join Freemuse in the celebration of freedom of musical expression. Magamba is a grassroots organization using arts for positive social change while Pamberi Trust runs two of Harare’s leading arts venues aswell as various arts projects.

Artists on the line up include Comrade Fatso & Chabvondoka, Alexio & Shades of Black aswell as Outspoken & the Essence. Comrade Fatso and Chabvondoka are an explosive, genre-busting, insurgent band that defy musical boxes and modern day apolitical pop music. As Zimbabwe’s leading protest band Comrade Fatso and Chabvondoka launched in 2008 their much-acclaimed album, House of Hunger, praised internationally but banned by the Zimbabwean authorities because of its outspoken criticism of the repressive regime. They have performed extensively, having been invited to perform at festivals all over the world.

Alexio Kawara and Shades of Black are one of the most exciting acts from Zimbabwe’s new generation of artists. Alexio’s fresh urban musical mix is extremely popular. His song Shaina catapulted him to fame in Zimbabwe.

Outspoken is a spoken word emcee from Harare, combining soul-stirring lyrics with an Afrosoul hip-hop sound. Outspoken fuses classical and African instrumentation with hip hop beats to deliver a message of inner reflection and hope, using his poetry and music to challenge the increasing hopelessness in our globalized world. Outspoken performs regularly across Southern Africa aswell as Europe and the USA.  He is also the frontman for “Outspoken and the Essence” – a powerful Zimbabwean band that fuses hip hop, reggae, and soulful African rhythms set to release their album this year.

* For further info contact:*

Comrade Fatso (co-organiser and artistic facilitator of Magamba): farai.magamba [at] gmail [dot] com

Outspoken (co-organiser and projects facilitator of Magamba): alphaintellect [at] gmail [dot] com

He speaketh
From the mouth of babes he sounds
Grown men with twisted minds applaud
From the depths of a world past
“Free, free, at last”
He punches his fist in triumph
An urchin laughs, a belly laugh
That wrenches the stomach of his pit
The enemy yonder spits
What is is now?
“You should know.”
A voice speaketh from a place unknown
How long is it going to last?
From the depths of a world past
This will last an eternity
So long as man breathes
This is our way of African tithing
An arm and a leg perchance?
A whole life wasted on hate perhaps?
He speaketh
From the mouth of babes he sounds

Yesterday’s update from the International Socialist Organisation (Zimbabwe) below described what happened in court yesterday in the case of Munyaradzi Gwisai + 44 others who have been charged with treason following a discussion meeting Saturday 19 February.  They are currently appearing in court again today. The Magistrate instructed everyone who was standing to leave, and closed the doors to the court.

The arrested Comrades were scheduled to appear in court today but to our surprise when the time was up for the matter to start we saw a different female magistrate on the bench who advised us that the magistrate who is presiding over the matter was in  a meeting with the Chief Justice. The matter was therefore postponed to tomorrow as the meeting was said to take the whole day today. All the magistrate had to say was that she knew nothing about the case and was not going to hear any petitions from the defence lawyers.  We are therefore going to court again at 11:15am tomorrow. We however visited the male prison and gave them food in the afternoon but we failed to give the females their meal as they were still at the court at the time we visited the prison. The officers refused to accept the food on their behalf.