HARARE - MDC youth leader Solomon Madzore yesterday demanded the immediate release of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s officers and prominent human rights lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa arrested last week.

Madzore made the call soon after landing at the Harare International Airport from Denmark where he had gone on a national healing programme. He arrived to a rapturous welcome from dozens of MDC youths.

“We are concerned with the arrest of Mtetwa and our senior officials,” Madzore said soon after his arrival. “They should free Mtetwa. Our supporters should be released.”

He said they had travelled to Denmark to represent respective youth wings in the inclusive government. Zanu PF was represented by its secretary general Lesley Ncube, while the Welshman Ncube-led MDC was represented by its national youth chairperson Gideon Mandaza.

“We want to ensure that there is healing in Zimbabwe,” he said.

“We had gone there to ensure that healing being dealt with by Joint Monitoring and Implementation Committee (Jomic) should be systematic,” said Madzore.

He said besides the forum being attended by politically-aligned youths, civic formations and youths from Netherlands were also part of the group.

“We engaged the country’s (Denmark) Foreign ministry to hear their views on Zimbabwe. We also learnt how to deal with violence ahead of elections,” he said.

Madzore said Zimbabwe was still a long way in achieving complete healing but was hopeful that things will work out.

“It is very possible to work together. We can stop looking at one another as enemies. But we have this Big Brother mentality being perpetrated by Zanu PF,” he said.

He urged youths to register to vote in the forthcoming elections, expected within the next few months.

The fiery MDC youth leader said if Mugabe loses the next election, he must accept defeat and go into retirement. - Tendai Kamhungira