HARARE - The Women and Men of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) has condemned attempts by the police last week to drag some of its activists to court which it said was an example of how the state has continued to harass its members.
The womens pressure group said in statement that police attempted to serve summonses on 14 activists over a demonstration carried out in May 2008 and which the police say was illegal. But only one WOZA member, Clara Manjengwa, received the summons to?appear at Harare magistrates court.??The organisation said when Manjengwa presented herself at court last Thursday, there was no docket, witnesses or any record of the matter that the police had indicated was for hearing.
The police themselves were not even present. In fact the only evidence that a summons had been served was the copy that Manjengwa herself had. Manjengwa is still recovering from her most recent detention in Harare Central Police Station a few weeks ago and had to leave her sick bed to attend court.??
The organisation said instead of dismissing the matter out of hand, a prosecutor Chigota insisted on calling out the names of the 14 from Manjengwas copy of the summons three times, despite it having been communicated that Manjengwa was the only member that had received the summons. ??The matter was postponed to 11.30 am to give time for the docket to be found. However by the set time the docket could still not be found and neither the investigating officer nor witnesses were present, forcing Magistrate Munhamato Mutevedzi to dismiss the matter. ??
The state will have to proceed by way of summons when they have their case in order.?? The 14 members had been arrested on May 28, 2008 near the Zambian embassy in Harare, where they were to hand over a petition to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) chair calling for an end to post-election violence. ??Twelve members of the group spent 17 days in Chikurubi and Harare Remand Prisons after the state contested a ruling by a magistrates court granting the accused bail.
Two members, Jenni Williams and Magodonga Mahlangu, spent 37 days in Chikurubi Prison before being granted bail. ??
The group were charged under the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act section which prohibits the participation of one in a gathering with the intent to promote public violence, a breach of the peace or bigotry.?? After appearing in court on remand several times, the group was finally removed from remand on October 15, 2008.??
“WOZA condemns this attempt by the state to resurrect this case over two years later without any additional evidence as pure harassment of human rights defenders. It raises concerns of renewed violence and persecution of pro-democracy activists ahead of a possible election next year.”
Post published in: News