Harare Supreme Court bail hearing for MDC Treasurer General and
Deputy Minister of Agriculture designate, Hon Roy Bennett will be heard
on Tuesday 10, March 2009, at 1130hrs.The state lost twice in the Harare High Court applications for the
continued detention of Roy Bennett on politically motivated and trumped
up charges.
Flagrantly disregarding the law, the state used judicial,
quasi-judicial and extra-judicial measures to frustrate, and block the
release, on bail, of Roy Bennett.
In his judgement on the state’s appeal for an application for leave of
appeal in the Harare Supreme Court, Justice Gware granted the state
leave to appeal to the Supreme Court but stated, correctly, that there
was no prospect of success for the state.
As we have consistently stated, there is no basis at law for both the
charges, and more so, the denial of bail to Roy Bennett. The abuse of
judicial processes, and when this abuse is exhausted, the use of
quasi-and extra-judicial measures to detain Roy Bennett and all other
political prisoners do not give confidence to a new era of the return
of just law, something the country, in the interest of national
reconstruction, dearly needs.
As there is no basis at law for the charges, and continued detention of
Roy Bennett, and all other political prisoners, we demand their
immediate unconditional release unharmed. They have become, plainly,
political hostages.
MDC Secretary for Social Welfare, Kerry Kay visited Roy Bennett earlier
today. The appalling and inhuman conditions in the prison continue to
deteriorate. Yet another prisoner starved to death early today morning.
Roy Bennett has requested the MDC Manicaland to bring food, and MDC
Manicaland has been granted permission to bring in food for all
inmates, at least, in Roy Bennett cell.
Meanwhile, Roy Bennett has learnt with great sadness the tragic
passing-on of Mrs Susan Tsvangirai. Roy Bennett is gravely saddened and
has conveyed his condolences to President of the MDC, and Prime
Minister of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Morgan Tsvangirai, his family,
the MDC and to the people of Zimbabwe. In his message Roy Bennett
emphasised the need for all to remain true to the dreams of the
democratic Zimbabwe and to "strive to achieve the Zimbabwe mai
Tsvangirai (Mrs Tsvangirai) wanted to see".
MDC
Post published in: News