Ten students from Belvedere Teachers College and Morgan Zintech Teachers College who were facing allegations of staging an unsanctioned demonstration at Belvedere Teachers College have been acquitted.
Harare magistrate Judith Taruvinga on Friday discharged the students at the close of State’s case and ruled that the State had failed to prove a prima facie case against them.
The students from Belvedere Teachers College are Blessing Nyamurowa, Lavender Chifamba, Nqobizita Masuku, Julia Munyanyi, Tariro Chineganda, Nokhutula Zengeni, Talent Madzivanyika, Tracy Ngomambi.
The other two students, Stephen Marivo and Walter Muzamani are from Morgan Zintech Teachers College.
The students were all represented by Paidamoyo Saurombe from the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR).
Prosecutors told the court that the ten had responded to a WhatsApp group post by Savious Mutuvire calling for students to stage a demonstration.
Mutuvire is a member of the student representative committee (SRC) at Belvedere Teachers’ College.
The State further alleged that the accused went to the college’s gate where they started singing while holding placards criticising the Government and the college’s administration.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) was notified of the demonstration and police officers were dispatched to the college who promptly arrested the students.