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Zimbabwe's Elections 2013 - Index of Articles
The trial of Mtetwa continues
Zimbabwe Human
Rights NGO Forum
September
03, 2013
http://www.hrforumzim.org/alerts/the-trial-of-mtetwa-continues/
The trial of persecuted
human rights lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa resumed on Monday 2 September
2013 at the Harare Magistrates Court with the second witness out
of nine lined up by the State testifying. Detective Assistant Inspector
Wilfred Chibage testified as the second witness before Harare Magistrate
Rumbidzai Mugwagwa after Mtetwa and her lawyer Harrison Nkomo finished
cross examining Chief Superintendent Luckson Mukazhi.
Chibage appeared
to be damaging the State’s evidence which it is relying upon
to secure a conviction after he indicated that Mtetwa could not
have interfered with the police search of outgoing Prime Minister
Morgan Tsvangirai’s research and communications office located
in Avondale suburb as she was under arrest and detained in a police
vehicle and at the same time hand cuffed. Mtetwa, who was arrested
on 17 March 2013, was charged with contravening Section 184 (1)
(g) of the Criminal
Law (Codification and Reform) Act for allegedly defeating or
obstructing the course of justice.
Tawanda Zvekare, the
Acting Director of Public Prosecutions in the Attorney General’s
Office is leading the prosecution. During Mtetwa’s trial,
some truncheon wielding police officers loitered inside the court
house. Some of the State witnesses who are lined to testify include
Detective Constable Ngatirwe Mamiza, Detective Sergeant Taizivei
Tembo, Assistant Inspector Thabani Nkomo, Chido Chawanikwa, a police
officer, Stembiwe Vera, a caretaker at Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s
research and development office, Brian Mutusva, a computer technician
in the PM’s Office and a driver, Zororai Mudariki.
Meanwhile, the
trial of Arnold Tsunga, the MDC-T Member of Parliament-elect for
Dangamvura-Chikanga constituency together with 49 other MDC-T supporters
commences on Tuesday 3 September 2013 at Mutare Magistrates Court.
Tsunga was arrested on 19 July 2013 together with 49 other MDC-T
supporters and charged with committing criminal nuisance in contravention
of Section 46 (2) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform)
Act Chapter 9:23. The 50 MDC-T supporters were arrested while exercising
their political rights to association and expression after conducting
a door to door political campaign on the eve of the harmonised elections.
Tinoziva Bere of Bere Brothers Legal Practitioners, Blessing Nyamaropa
of Zimbabwe Lawyers
for Human Rights and Passmore Nyakureba on Maunga Maanda Legal
Practitioners are representing the 50 MDC-T supporters.
Visit the Zimbabwe
Human Rights NGO Forum fact
sheet
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