Harare Magistrate’s Court yesterday temporarily released renowned Author Tsitsi Dangarembga’s passport to enable her to travel to German for a fellowship event.
Magistrate Estere Chivasa granted Dangarembga’s application and said
…Dangarembga had been nominated for a lifetime opportunity hence it would be inhumane if the court withheld her passport, leading to her missing the event.
She also noted that Dangarembga and her co-accused have attended court religiously and did not violate their bail conditions:
…the duo had religiously attended court since they were arrested and had never violated their bail reporting conditions and, therefore, there was no justification to deny them relaxation.
Dangarembga’s co-accused Julie Gabriel Barnes had made a similar application stating she needed to travel abroad on business and her passport was also released by the court.
The duo had reportedly pledged to surrender their motor vehicles as surety for bail relaxation, before the magistrate said it was not necessary, and remanded them to 5 January 2021.
The duo was arrested on 31 July for taking part in a protest that was organized to protest President Mnangagwa’s maladministration.
More: Newsday