According to the CDF, the raid came just hours after its Harare Programmes Director, Paul Gorekore, was arrested following a police search of his home in Mbare.
The organisation said that shortly after 11 p.m., armed officers arrived in two police pick-up trucks at the building housing the CDF offices, which are located above Biti Law Chambers, the legal practice of CDF leader and prominent lawyer Tendai Biti.
Police reportedly confronted the building's security guard, who fled before officers entered the offices and seized various items. The CDF said it is compiling a full inventory of the materials taken during the operation.
In a statement issued before the office raid, the CDF strongly condemned Gorekore's arrest, describing the search of his home as unlawful and accusing authorities of using intimidation to silence citizens exercising their constitutional rights.
"We view this as an attempt to intimidate citizens and activists exercising their constitutional rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful civic participation," the organisation said.
The CDF called on the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) to respect due process, act within the law and immediately release Gorekore without charge.
The organisation also maintained that campaigning against Constitution Amendment Bill No. 3 is lawful, insisting that opposing the proposed constitutional changes "is not a crime."
The incident comes amid heightened political tensions over Constitution Amendment Bill No. 3, which has drawn strong criticism from opposition parties, civil society organisations and liberation war veterans who argue that the proposed changes threaten Zimbabwe's constitutional order.
Tags:
News