The trial of pro-democracy campaigner Takudzwa Ngadziore on charges of participating in a gathering with intent to promote public violence failed to commence Thursday at Harare Magistrates Court.
This was after prosecutors attempted to “sneak in” some witnesses who assaulted the former student leader when he was arrested in September 2020 and left him for dead, Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) claimed.
Obey Shava, a ZLHR lawyer “quickly objected” to this before Harare Magistrate Ruth Moyo and demanded that a comprehensive report should be tabled before the court concerning the participation of those witnesses in the assault of Ngadziore.
As a result, Magistrate Moyo postponed the matter to 18 October to allow the state to submit the said report and for the possible commencement of Ngadziore’s trial.
Some context:
Ngadziore was arrested in September 2020 by the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZR) and charged with contravening section 37(1)(b) of the Criminal Code for allegedly protesting at Impala Car Rental premises in Harare demanding answers concerning its alleged role in the use of its vehicles in the abduction of Twanda Muchehiwa, a journalism student.
Muchehiwa was abducted, disappeared and tortured by some unidentified people in Bulawayo in July 2020.
They interrogated him to reveal the whereabouts of his relative, freelance journalist Mduduzi Mathuthu who was wanted by the police allegedly for rallying the citizenry to participate in the foiled 31 July 2020 anti-government protests.
Prosecutors allege that Ngadziore teamed up with 30 other unidentified people and gathered at some traffic lights located in the Braeside suburb in Harare armed with placards and demonstrated against Impala Car Rental’s alleged use of its vehicles in the abduction of Muchehiwa.
During the demonstration, prosecutors claimed, Ngadziore sang songs demeaning ZRP members.