Activist ruling set for Tuesday

Comment & Analysis
By LESLEY WURAYAYIRULING in the case in which human rights activist Sten Zvorwadza is facing a charge of “posing a threat of future violence” has been postponed to Tuesday.

Presiding Magistrate Victoria Mashamba postponed the ruling last week noting she had not yet received an application for discharge papers filed by the defence.

According to the defence led by Jeremiah Bamu from the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, Zvorwadza was approached by Zanu PF youths while installing underground paraffin tanks at the Harare Municipality pump house near Matapi in Mbare.

The youths ordered Zvorwadza to stop his work claiming that Mbare was a Zanu PF territory and threatened him with unspecified action. Zvorwadza made a report at Mbare Police station, but was instead incarnated at Matapi cells.

He was then accused of threatening to murder Zanu PF officials Clifford Mazarura, chairperson of Mbare district and Clever Ntabande, secretary of the same district.

Zvorwadza, who is the Restoration of Human Rights vice-president and spokesperson, is facing the charge under Section 186 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.

Under cross examination, one of the witnesses made a startling revelation that Zanu PF sent as many as 200 youths to disrupt businesses in the same area where businessman Alex Mashamhanda was barred from constructing a service station and a food court.

Zvorwadza, who was abused at Matapi by policemen, is planning to lobby for the closure of the holding cells arguing that they were not fit for human beings.

“After the ruling we will advocate for renovations to be done on remand prisons especially Matapi which was declared unfit for human habitation in 2004 but is still operational to date,” he said.