Clifford Hlatywayo, spokesperson for the MDC-T Youth Assembly, told SW Radio Africa that Justice Chinembiri Bhunu said Tuesday that the trial will continue on October 8th, so he can have time off to deal with the issue of bail for the jailed activists.
Justice Bhunu had reserved judgement in a fresh bail hearing for the 29 accused last month, launched after new evidence was introduced by the defence. At the time, he did not indicate when the High Court decision would be handed down, claiming he was loaded with work.
Hlatywayo said: “The excuse used by Bhunu not to give judgement on the bail was that he did not have enough time. Given a whole week he should have that time to deal with bail issues.”
The state claims Glen View policeman Petros Mutedza was killed by the MDC-T members at a local pub. But the party denies the charges and insist the arrests were a plot by ZANU PF to destabilize their structures. They say there is evidence showing many of the accused were not at the pub the night Mutedza was killed.
The courts have denied bail to the MDC-T members on several occasions, claiming they are flight risks. The trial has also dragged on at a slow pace, which the MDC-T alleges to be a strategy to extend their time in jail.
Hlatywayo said the jailed activists are in good spirits and are aware that this is a political game. He added that they were encouraging the youth assembly to continue working towards democracy in Zimbabwe, especially after seeing how crowded the 13th anniversary celebrations were in Bulawayo on Saturday.
The new evidence introduced last month came from testimony by the father and brother of the slain cop. Both Solomon Mutedza and son Tichaona appealed to the court to release the activists and implicated ZANU PF elements in a plot to kill the Glen View cop. Tichaona is the MDC-T chairperson of ward 2 in Mt Darwin and his father Solomon Mutedza actually supports ZANU PF. SW Radio Africa
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