A Zimbabwean court has ordered the deportation of 21 Ugandans for entering the country illegally. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
THE National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has withdrawn charges against
Dumisani Dube, a Bulawayo-based lawyer, who was arrested in June and
charged with defeating or obstructing the course of justice.
Dube was arrested on 6 June 2020 by Zimbabwe Republic Police members
and charged with contravening Section 184 of the Criminal Law
(Codification and Reform) Act for allegedly defeating or obstructing
the course of justice.
The allegations arose from a matter wherein Dube represented his
client and filed an urgent chamber application at the Bulawayo High
Court, and obtained an order in favour of his client.
The state alleged that Dube filed a fake certificate of service
purporting to have served one of the Respondents in the matter, when
he had not, and thereafter proceeded to obtain an order by default.
But on Wednesday 30 September 2020, prosecutors withdrew charges
against Dube, who was represented by Godfrey Nyoni of Zimbabwe Lawyers
for Human Rights(ZLHR) and Prince Bhutshe-Dube,before plea.
Meanwhile, Harare Magistrate Ngoni Nduna on Wednesday 30 September
2020 dismissed an application filed by Prosecutor Michael Reza of the
NPA seeking to revoke the bail granted to Tapiwa Makanza, a
Harare-based lawyer, who was arrested in June and charged with
defeating or obstructing the course of justice.
Reza had sought to have Makanza’s bail revoked after alleging that he
had breached one of the conditions which barred him from interfering
with Simbarashe Zuze, whom the state considered to be its witness in
its ongoing case against the Harare-based lawyer.
But Magistrate Nduna ruled that the purported Zuze, whom Makanza
allegedly interfered with is not a material witness to the State.
Magistrate Nduna stated that in any case Zuze is a defence witness and
it’s the state which should be cautious in its interactions with him.
Makanza, who is represented by Obey Shava and Paidamoyo Saurombe of
ZLHR, returns to court on Friday 9 October 2020.
Apart from Dube and Makanza, several lawyers are appearing in court on
similar charges of defeating or obstructing the course of justice. The
charges emanate from execution of their professional duties.