Deaf Couple Granted Bail After Spending Christmas In Prison
The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) on Tuesday secured the release of a deaf couple in Masvingo after spending the Christmas holiday in remand prison.
Sarah Ndandadzi and Richard Mugove, who are vendors, were arrested last week and charged with assaulting or resisting a peace officer when police officers raided them.
On Tuesday, Masvingo Magistrate Patience Madondo released Ndandadzi and Mugove on ZWL$5 000 bail each.
The magistrate also ordered the couple not to interfere with State witnesses and to continue residing at their given residential addresses.
They return to court in January 2022.
According to ZLHR, the two were remanded to this Tuesday as there was no sign language interpreter to assist them during their initial court appearance on Friday.
Ndandadzi and Mugove were charged with assaulting or resisting a peace officer after they were arrested Wednesday for allegedly assaulting police officers in plainclothes who were grabbing their wares and assaulting them.
There was a communication breakdown between police officers and Ndandadzi and Mugove, owing to their condition as they did not understand the attack on them by police officers and neither did they realise that they were under arrest.
