By Staff Reporter
Police arrested Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) leader Jameson Timba and 78 youths on Sunday for holding a political gathering that authorities deemed unauthorized.
The youths were holding a private meeting at Timba’s Avondale residence to commemorate International Youth Day. They were arrested on charges of participating in an illegal gathering and disorderly conduct.
Timba became the interim leader of the Citizens Coalition for Change after former leader Nelson Chamisa resigned from the party in January, alleging it had been infiltrated by the ruling ZANU-PF party.
Their lawyer, Agency Gumbo, said on Monday that the 78 youths remained in custody.
“They are still in custody, and we are working on their release. They are likely to be charged with violating maintenance of public order laws,” Gumbo said.
Police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Nyathi confirmed the arrests, stating that more details would be available soon.
“Police acted on a tip-off and raided the house, leading to the arrests. During the arrests, some youths allegedly became violent and threw stones at police officers. Reinforcements were called in. We will release more details later,” Nyathi told state media.
The CCC has now split into two factions. Timba leads the one aligned with its former president, Nelson Chamisa, while the other faction is led by Sengezo Tshabangu. Former leader Nelson Chamisa resigned from his own party in January, citing infiltration.
