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Treason charges against Munyaradzi Gwisai & others - Index of articles
Gwisai
fined US$500 and community service
Radio VOP
March 21, 2012
View this article
on the Radio VOP website
Former MDC legislator for Highfields Munyaradzi Gwisai and five
of his co-accused were on Wednesday slapped with a fine of US$500
each plus 420 hours of performing community service each.
"Each
accused person is to pay a fine of US$500 and on default 10 months
imprisonment," said Harare magistrate Kudakwashe Jarabini
while pronouncing his sentence.
Jarabini further
sentenced the six to 24 months imprisonment, 12 months of which
were suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour.
The balance
of 12 months was suspended on condition that the accused persons
complete their 420 hours of community service.
Jarabini said
his court had conceded the submissions made by the accused through
their attorney during mitigation on Tuesday that a prison would
worsen their personal circumstances since five of them were bread
winners.
He said his
sentence was also influenced by that the accused's plan to
incite the overthrow of the current government was "fortuitously
interrupted before the finer details could be discussed".
Although this
was great relief to the embattled social rights activists who were
until Wednesday afternoon starring 10 year jail terms for conspiracy
to cause public violence, their lawyer Alec Muchadehama immediately
advised the court they want to appeal against the court's
imposition of community service.
"Obviously
the accused are aggrieved by the sentence as well as the conviction.
So I have instruction to appeal against both conviction and sentence,"
Muchadehama said.
Jarabini will
on March 26 hear submissions from both the state and the defence
on whether he can grant leave to appeal against the sentence or
not.
Gwisai, a University
of Zimbabwe lecturer, is jointly charged with Antoneta Choto (36),
Tatenda Mombeyarara (29), Edson Chakuma (38), Hopewell Gumbo (32)
and Welcome Zimuto (25).
Wednesday's
highly anticipated ruling provoked wild scenes of celebration outside
the court building among youths from the Zimbabwe
National Students Union (ZINASU) leading to the arrest of five
youths for a charge that was not immediately verified.
For the third
consecutive day since the accused were summoned for conviction and
sentence, baton wielding anti riot police maintained a conspicuous
presence in and outside court.
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