In another matter, five members arrested on 25 February outside the
Ministry of Education, the Education ‘Five’, appeared in Harare
Magistrate’s Court on 19th March and were remanded out of custody to
Monday 4th May. Their lawyer, Alec Muchadehama, will apply for them to
be removed off remand if the State is not ready to proceed to trial on
this date. They face the same charges of disturbing the peace, security
or order of the public.
In the third WOZA matter before the courts, Jenni Williams and
Magodonga Mahlangu will appear before Magistrate Charity Msipa in the
Bulawayo Magistrate’s Court on Thursday 30th April.
The matter was last heard on 18th March when defence lawyer, Kossam
Ncube, indicated that he would be taking a direct application to the
Supreme Court.
The magistrate had thrown out an earlier request to apply to the
Supreme Court saying the application was frivolous and vexatious and
that the trial should proceed immediately. (For a copy of the full
ruling, visit the WOZA website at
http://wozazimbabwe.org/?p=371) Under a separate clause of the
Constitution, Section 24 (1), applicants can apply directly to the
Supreme Court if they feel that they are still aggrieved. This was
subsequently done. (The text of the two applications is also available
on the WOZA website at http://wozazimbabwe.org/?cat=17).
The Supreme Court has yet to allocate the urgent application to a judge as they are all said to be on leave.
It is difficult to predict what will occur Thursday as Magistrate Msipa
has previously ignored appeals to higher courts and had disallowed the
first Supreme Court application. Williams and Mahlangu face a possible
five years in custody if convicted. – Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA)