The Masvingo High Court has overturned the convictions of five opposition activists from Gutu West, Ward 6 who had been convicted and sentenced by the Gutu Magistrate’s Court on charges of public violence.
The five CCC supporters are Privilege Goremusandu, Tapiwa Chiro, Patrick Chimbare, Brian Sithole, and Takudzwa Mashiri.
According to <a href="https://x.com/ChangeRadioZW/status/1813593112343716155">Change Radio</a>, their lawyer, Martin Mureri, who is also the Member of Parliament for Masvingo Urban, successfully appealed the convictions and sentences before Justices Garainesu Mawadze and Sunsley Zisengwe.
The two Justices declared that the convictions and sentences of the five CCC supporters were erroneous and subsequently ordered their release.
The five were initially convicted on February 27, 2024, following their arrest in the aftermath of clashes between ZANU PF members and supporters of former CCC leader Nelson Chamisa at an opposition campaign rally at Chiriga Business Centre in Gutu West.
ZANU PF members allegedly disrupted the police-approved rally, and law enforcement blocked all routes leading to the rally venue, preventing Chamisa from addressing the citizens.
Mureri who took over the case after the initial lawyer Mutema from the NGO Forum failed to appear in court on the judgment day.
The five were initially charged with public violence under Section 36(1) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, Chapter 09:23.
The CCC supporters were each sentenced to 12-month prison terms, with 3 months of the sentence suspended for 5 years.
Before their release on bail following an appeal by Mureri, the individuals spent three weeks incarcerated in Gutu, Mutimurefu, and Remand prisons.
The CCC supporters were allegedly physically assaulted and injured by ZANU PF members led by Robson Gahadzika.
However, the police have yet to arrest Gahadzika or any other ZANU PF members believed to be involved in the attack
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Pindula News

The High Court in Masvingo overturned convictions of five opposition activists from Gutu West who were charged with public violence. The activists are supporters of the opposition party CCC. The convictions were declared erroneous and the activists were released. They were arrested after clashes between ZANU PF and CCC supporters at a rally. The activists spent three weeks in prison before being released on bail. The lawyer representing them successfully appealed their convictions. ZANU PF members allegedly disrupted the rally and assaulted the activists. The police have not yet arrested those involved in the attack.

High Court Overturns Convictions Of Pro-Chamisa Supporters From Gutu West

Two Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) supporters were last week acquitted on charges of tearing political campaign posters belonging to a ZANU PF candidate in Manicaland.
<a href="https://thestandard.newsday.co.zw/news/article/200012966/charges-against-ccc-activists-thrown-out">The Standard</a> reported that the duo, Zephenia Nyangani and Learnmore Makuwaza who reside in Mboto village in Mutasa District, were arrested on 10 December 2022.
They were charged with the destruction of political posters as defined in section 152(1) of the Electoral Act.
Nyangani and Makuwaza’s trial commenced on 20 May 2023 at Mutasa Magistrates Court.
Prosecutors alleged that the duo defaced posters belonging to ZANU PF local government candidate, Regina Barara, ahead of a pending by-election.
Nyangani and Makuwaza were accused of tearing the posters when they were pasting and affixing posters of their CCC political party candidate in Ward 6.
Their lawyer, David Tandiri of the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) applied for their discharge on the grounds that prosecutors failed to prove a prima facie case against the two CCC supporters.
He also argued that state witnesses, who testified during the trial gave contradictory and inconsistent testimonies.
Magistrate Artwell Sanyatwe agreed with Tandiri’s arguments and ruled that one of the state witnesses had exonerated Nyangani and Makuwaza in the commission of the alleged offence.
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