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"Rituals" team released
Rooftop Promotions
January 07, 2010

The arrested team of "Rituals" has finally been released after being arrested on 5 January and spending two nights in police custody at Cashel Valley police station without bathing as the cells had no water and with women being denied the right to sanitary pads. After refusing to pay a fine for a crime they did not commit, they were taken to court today; thanks to the pressure from ZLHR appointed Mutare based lawyers, Cosmas Chibaya and Blessing Nyamaropa. Upon arrival at Mutare Magistrate Court at 12:25pm, prosecution advised the police, after vetting the case, to compile a full docket and submit it for set-down. They were released less than 10 minutes after arrival without even appearing before a magistrate and police are to proceed by way of summons.

Police request for further remand was rejected and this is probably one of the few criminal nuisance cases were police had requested further remand. According to the request for remand filed by the police, which we have a copy of, "The accused unlawfully held a public performance where they performed a drama reminiscent of political disturbances of June 2008 which incited the affected members of the public to revive their differences. The members of the public reacted violently and caused commotion at the Business Centre. When confronted the accused said they were acting in pursuance of national reconciliation which is not their mandate but that of JOMIC"

What baffles the mind is that some members of the public who watched the play said they enjoyed the play and there was never any commotion and they managed to engage in a free discussion about political violence until a police officer who was filming the entire play with his cellular phone disrupted the discussions.

"We still do not understand what police mean by saying we unlawfully held a public performance when in actual fact Rooftop Promotions Censorship certificate (attached) empowers us to the hilt to carryout public performances. We also do not understand the intention of the police when they try to make out a story that never happened because as far as we gathered, the commotion story is a figment of their own imagination. What even boggles the mind further is that they are saying it is not our mandate to discuss national reconciliation but that of JOMIC because as far as we are concerned, our job is to discuss any topical national issue as artists and further more we do not think it is even the mandate of JOMIC but that of the Organ on National Healing Reconciliation and Integration and even then that does not mean communities have to wait for the Organ to heal and reconcile them. This is a play that was approved by the Board of Censors who are in the same Home Affairs ministry with police and if Cashel Valley police say we have no mandate to discuss that then we do not understand where they are coming from. This detention has compromised three performances we were supposed to do in order to finish the Manicaland Tour and this is a loss to the community. From tomorrow we are moving to Masvingo province where we will add the compromised 3 shows. This experience has definitely increased our resolve as artists to tackle national issues and propagate the messages on a broader scale. Thank you Cashel Valley police.", says Daves Guzha the producer of Rooftop Promotions.

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