JOHANNESBURG – Police and customs officials at the Beitbridge border between South Africa and Zimbabwe have been accused of seizing campaign materials from political parties not linked to the government of national unity after declaring that Zimbabwe is now "a two party state only".

The claim was made by the Zimbabwe African People’s Union (ZAPU) and the Matabeleland Freedom Party (MFP), both of whom assert that they have repeatedly had their goods confiscated.

Thulani Dhlamini, a member of the ZAPU branch in Johannesburg said that, in a recent incident, he and other party officials were detained for 18 hours by Zimbabwe customs officers, police and the Central Intelligence Organisation after they tried to import 135 T-shirts into the country.

ZAPU is the part of former liberation stalwart Joshua Nkomo who merged it with ZANU PF in 1987. It has now been resuscitated under the leadership of Politburo member Dumiso Dabengwa.

“We did the right thing and declared the small parcel of T-shirts and party leaflets at customs and that’s where the problem started,” he said.

“The shirts were still in our minibus, but a customs officer at the desk who had not seen them said they weighed 30 kilogrammes and needed a duty of R3 210. That was more than we paid to print the clothes.”

Dhlamini said they decided to leave the package with customs, and were given a pass to enter Zimbabwe.

“But at the gate, they stopped our vehicle and opened every suitcase and carry bag. Each of the 14 people in the car had one or two T-shirts for his personal use and these were seized,” he said.

The vehicle and occupants were taken to Beitbridge police station where, Dhlamini says, “the questioning was intense and we were asked to give details of our political and private lives, going right back to the schools we attended 20 or 30 years ago. And every official we dealt with refused to give us his or her name.”

“We are all professional people with jobs, so we had only left Jo’burg after work on Thursday August 13 and we reached the border by 3am. We were finally released at 5pm on the Friday, without charge. But they kept all our materials, including 500 pamphlets.”

Dhlamini said that a senior police officer at Beitbridge had threatened them with imprisonment.

“He made it clear that only materials for use by the ruling ZANU PF and MDC parties could enter Zimbabwe and we should apologise to him for our error. If not he would lock us up for the weekend and we would appear in court on Monday.”

The ZAPU team gave verbal apologies, their passports which had been confiscated were returned, and they continued to Bulawayo without further incident.

In Johannesburg, the ZAPU chairman for Sandton, Thami Meah Dungeni, said that one of his members was recently ordered to remove her top by customs officers.

“There at the gate she was told to take off her ZAPU T-shirt and surrender it,” he said. “Luckily she had another white blouse underneath.”

Dungeni said that the matter had grown worse in recent months.

“The number of reports we receive has increased lately and it seems high time that a full investigation was launched into the state of affairs at all Zimbabwe borders,” he said.

David Magagula from the Matabeleland Freedom Party supported the ZAPU allegations, saying that his members faced harassment if they tried to enter Zimbabwe wearing any party symbols. Sometimes, he said, they are warned that Zimbabwe is now "a two party state".

"If you have a cap, a T-shirt, even a badge, they will stop you and search your bags," he said. "We have had no reports of beatings or assault, but the goods are usually taken unless people pay a bribe. It always starts with the customs officers which surprises us because they report to (finance minister) Tendai Biti who was a long time in opposition and knows what it is like to be abused."

Magagula said that in rural Matebeleland, police and members from president Robert Mugabe's ZANU PF often shouted at MFP supporters.

"They will say we are undermining the government of national unity, yet if we are now a democratic country then surely there must be space for everyone and their views," he said. “I would personally defend the right of any Zimbabwean to support Mugabe, Tsvangirai or the leader of their choice. I thought that is what we have been fighting for.”

Magagula said he used to think that the problem stemmed from his party's calls for greater regional autonomy, both in Matebeleland and other provinces.

"Now I am not so sure," he said. "We hear reports from ZAPU and even some civic groups that, unless you are linked to either the MDC or ZANU, you are labelled some kind of enemy."

At the insistence of the MDC, a special parliamentary committee of enquiry has been set up to examine the situation at all of the country's border posts, and an inspection team is expected to visit Beitbridge this month.

Finance Minister Tendai Biti, asked for and was sent a written copy of the allegations contained in this story and has said he will look into the matter.

By Zimonline