A pro-democracy activist, Tendai Lynette Mudehwe, is yet to face trial for a criminal nuisance charge eight years after her arrest.
According to NewZimbabwe.com, Mudehwe was arrested at Rainbow Towers in 2015 after holding a protest against former vice president Phelekezela Mphoko’s lengthy stay at the five-star hotel at taxpayers’ expense.
Mudehwe is the Founder and Co-ordinator of Zimbabwe Activists Alliance and is from Mutare.
She was arrested on 30 November 2015 during proceedings of the International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA).
Prosecutors allege that Mudehwe’s conduct was intended to cause annoyance or disturbance of public peace.
Since 2015, she has been appearing in court only for her case to be postponed.
On Thursday 9 February 2023, she was advised that her docket was incomplete and hence she would not appear in court.
Through her lawyer, Paidamoyo Saurombe, Mudehwe is seeking a permanent stay of prosecution. Saurombe said in the application:
If the trial does not commence when Mudehwe gets summoned to appear in court, the defence will institute proceedings for a permanent stay of prosecution as the prosecutor’s conduct would constitute persecution.