Nurses protests: 10 acquitted

TEN of the 11 nurses, who were arrested in June for allegedly contravening COVID-19 lockdown regulations after they gathered at Sally Mugabe Central Hospital (formerly Harare Central Hospital) in Harare to protest over poor working conditions, have been acquitted.

Mbare magistrate Shelly Zvenyika freed them on Thursday after the State failed to prove that the health professionals’ conduct constituted an offence.

One of the nurses, Moses Sigauke, was however remanded to October 26 for trial on another charge of incitement to cause public violence.

Sigauke is accused of posting social media messages on his Facebook account urging other nurses to demonstrate at Mbare Police Station following their arrest.

They were represented by rights lawyers Tinashe Chinopfukutwa and Rudo Bere.