HARARE - Human rights lawyers representing eight nationals from the Democratic Republic of Congo, who have been in remand prison for the past four months for disrupting the course of justice, have described the reluctance to grant bail and deliberate delay in finalising the case as tantamount to xenophobia.Harare magistrate, Achy Ochiunga, has ordered a new prosecutor to cover the case after the court heard that Andrew Mutsiwa, who was prosecuting from the initial stage, resigned last week Friday.
This is gross incompetence on the part of the state, and its equivalent to xenophobia given the fact that these foreign nationals were denied bail under unclear circumstances, said the lawyers in an interview after the court session. The case has been postponed to June 26.
Allegations are that the eight threatened Kudakwashe Ndudzo with unspecified action to stop her supplying information to the police who were investigating a case of child abuse perpetrated by Sarah Bady.
Bady, a Congolese national, has since been convicted and is serving a five-year jail term at Chikurubi Prison.
Post published in: Politics