Prosecutors Drop Charges Of Public Violence Against 33 War Veterans
Prosecutors from the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) on Monday, November 2, dropped criminal charges against 33 veterans of Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle.
The ex-combatants had been facing prosecution for over three years after their arrest on charges of promoting public violence.
The war veterans were detained for allegedly singing “Chimurenga” songs during a protest in Harare, where they sought to submit a petition to Parliament and the Munhumutapa Building, which houses President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s offices. The petition outlined their grievances.
The veterans were charged with participating in a gathering with the intent to promote public violence, breaches of peace, or bigotry, as defined in Section 37(1)(a) of the Criminal Code.
The charges were withdrawn after the High Court upheld the war veterans’ application for a review, ruling that the charges against them were defective.
The ex-combatants were represented by Kelvin Kabaya, Paida Saurombe, and Tinashe Chinopfukutwa of the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR).
More: Pindula News
