Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) officers arrested Evelyn Gumbochuma, a female teenager aged 16 years together with Morgan Ncube, aged 35 years, Elliot Mangombe, aged 45 years, Emmanuel Takutaku, aged 33 years, Egness Tore, aged 41 years, Nicholas Tsvanhu, aged 40 years, Marry Ngorima, aged 39 years, Onias Mahara, aged 20 years, Zacharia Mataera, aged 27 years and Bruce Hove, aged 21 years and charged them with contravening Section 25 (4) of POSA after they allegedly failed to notify the police as the regulating authority, about a public gathering which they convened in the border town on Saturday 04 March 2017.
Prosecutors alleged that the 10 Beitbridge residents, who are reportedly affiliated to the MDC-T political party, held a meeting at Dulibadzimu Bus Terminus, where over 60 people attended without notifying the ZRP as the regulating authority. The prosecutors charged that during the unsanctioned meeting, the 10 alleged political party activists, who are represented by Patrick Tererai of Tererai and Associates and who is a member of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, disturbed the day to day activities of some Beitbridge residents whom they addressed intending to recruit them to join their MDC-T party.
ZRP officers said they had targeted and arrested the 10 Beitbridge residents, who appeared at Beitbridge Magistrates Court on 06 March 2017, because they were reportedly wearing some MDC-T party regalia.