The police descended on the Nyaradzo Funeral Service at 120 Herbert Chitepo Avenue this morning around 9:15 and prevented a funeral service for the 24 year old Murambatsvina victim found dead in Mbare on Wednesday from proceeding.
The deceased, identified as Memory Jenaguru, had been living in the open in Mbare for the past 2 years.
The Combined Harare Residents Associations (CHRA), which provided support to the friends and family of the deceased for the orgainzation of a funeral, released the following statement yesterday:
The Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA) will tomorrow conduct a Murambatsvina solidarity service for the late Miss Memory Jenaguru who died in Mbare on Thursday. Memory Jenaguru (24) is amongst the thousands of people who were affected by Operation Murambatsvina, a governments sanctioned trail blazing destruction of backyard, formal and informal housing and vending units. CHRA found the lady dead near Mbare Musika during a tour. The relatives were stranded and had not reported the case to the Police for fear of victimization. The body was collected by Nyaradzo funeral service at 5:30 pm after the intervention of CHRA. Individuals and Civic society organizations are therefore invited to attend a solidarity service at Nyaradzo funeral service.
The police arrested around 60 mourners, mostly women, and temporarily detained a female employee of the funeral home.
The estimated 60 persons arrested were taken to the Central Police Station. Lawyers from Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) have at this hour been denied access to those arrested.
More information as it arrives.
