BULAWAYO – Bulawayo councillor Bruce Moyo’s family has been barred from visiting the jailed opposition member and civic leader who is detained at Khami Prison.
The Bulawayo Ward 22 councillor was arrested early this month charged with violence incitement.
He is among nearly a hundred opposition activists and rights defenders who have been seized on different occasions since June this year by police, accused of plans to incite Kenyan style protests ahead of the SADC summit in Harare this coming weekend.
In another sad reality of the tough rights situation in the country, a group of friends and relatives of the city father were on Tuesday denied access to him.
They comprised Reverend Mujati, the councillor’s mother, his sister Sithelempilo, nephew Leo as well as ousted councillor Sarah Cronje.
“We were held waiting for a very long time while the prison officers were debating the situation. Other visitors easily signed the register and were permitted entry,” the members said in comments shared on social media Tuesday.
“After over an hour, the senior wardens (one named Ncube) from Khami Remand came to address us, saying that we were allowed to ask questions. We were told that we were not allowed to visit Bruce, that they have been instructed by superiors that any visitors had to get special permission from Mhlahlandlela Building.”
Mhlahlandlela is a government complex housing a lot of government offices in Bulawayo.
Prison officials, according to the family, were ordered by the “Provincial Prisons Officers based at Mhlahlandlela Building” to block any visits by Moyo’s family and friends.
The family was told to seek further answers from the prison officers’ superiors at Mhlahlandlela and also denied permission to leave food for the detained city father.
Moyo’s family said they have raised the matter with the councillor’s lawyer.
