The two Judges upheld the 53 year-old Chisirimunhu’s appeal against
both conviction and sentence after his lawyer Martin Mureri of
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights appealed against Masvingo Magistrate
Mbonisi Ndlovu’s ruling wherein she was found guilty of participating
in a gathering with intent to promote public violence, breaches of the
peace or bigotry as defined in section 37 of the Criminal Law
(Codification and Reform) Act.
Chisirimunhu, the Masvingo Provincial Gender Secretary for Amalgamated
Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) and who had been out of
custody on ZWL2 000 bail, had been arrested in June 2020 together with
Obert Masaraure, the leader of ARTUZ, after they allegedly
participated in a demonstration held in Masvingo, where teachers
protested against poor salaries and unfavourable working conditions
and demanded to be paid a monthly salary amounting to US$520.
While Chisirimunhu was jailed, Masaraure, who had also been on trial
facing the same charges of participating in a gathering with intent to
promote public violence, breaches of the peace or bigotry as defined
in section 37 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, was
acquitted by Magistrate Ndlovu.