Twelve members of the Citizens’ Coalition for Change (CCC) have been summoned to appear in court on Thursday 29 September 2022 for violence which erupted at the Harvest House in Harare CBD in 2020.
The accused, who were then MDC-Alliance activists, reportedly destroyed windows and cut padlocks with bolt cutters at Harvest House.
The activists who have been summoned to appear at Harare Magistrates Court are:
Victor Machavhaira (39),
Shame Chidzonga (36),
Mafaiti Mubaiwa (34),
Angirai Mowotidhi (44),
Paul Gorekore (39),
Peter Shonhiwa (37),
Godfrey Katsaya (26),
Lloyd Zhou (38),
Richard Dube (23),
Onisimo Chaitezvi (32),
Sign Chanachimweza (31) and
Washington Dzungwa (39)
The 13th member, Forward Sezali, who was then aged 40 at the time of his arrest, has since passed on.
Muchavhaira confirmed to NewZimbabwe.com of the latest development. He said:
Indeed, the 12 of us, minus the now deceased Forward Sezali, have been served with summons to appear in court Thursday facing fresh charges of public violence. The timing of the matter is curious, particularly so after it had been thrown away.
At their initial appearance before Magistrate Judith Taruvinga in 2020, the youths were all released on $1 500 bail each and their lawyer Moses Mavhaire then successfully applied to have them removed from remand.
Allegations:
The state alleges that on October 29, 2020, at around 10 am, the youths, who were allegedly armed with stones, iron bars and bolt cutters, teamed up within the CBD.
They proceeded towards Harvest House along Nelson Mandela, and while on the way, they allegedly attacked motorists and pedestrians who passed through the area, thereby disturbing the peace and order in the city.
They destroyed the front window panes of Harvest House using stones before cutting the key locks on the screeengate using bolt cutters.
The police reacted and arrested Machavhaira, Chidzonga, Mubaiwa, Mowotidhi and Sezali, while others escaped.
On the same day at around 11 pm, Gorekore, Shonhiwa, Katsaya, Zhou, Dube, Chaitezvi, Chanachimweza, Dzungwa returned to Harvest House leading to their arrest.
Mowotidhi and Sizali had pending cases before the same court.
The incident happened as MDC factions – MDC-T and MDC Alliance, in that order, then led by Thokozani Khupe and Nelson Chamisa were fighting for control over the Harvest House christened Morgan Tsvangirai House.