President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration has come under fire over its perceived-harsh crackdown on demonstrators last month against alleged state corruption and economic hardship last month – which saw 20 citizens arrested and charged with inciting public violence arrested for partaking in the banned protests – to be later released on bail.

Abel Chikomo, Spokesperson Catholic Lawyers Guild, addressed the public, “The Pastoral letter denounced the current human rights situation in Zimbabwe and noted that the call for demonstrations is the expression of growing frustration and aggravation caused by the conditions that the majority of Zimbabweans find themselves in.”

On Friday, the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference (ZCBC) publicly denounced in a letter the anti-government thwarting detentions, assaults and intimidation techniques and also weighed in on Zimbabwe’s long-standing social and economic crisis, one which the government vehemently denies.

The Law Society and some international organisations echoed the sentiment viewing it as a matter of human rights.