UK-based Zimbo faces terrorism charges
MDC Alliance activist based in the United Kingdom, Martin William Chinyanga, will next year be tried by a British court on four charges of terrorism.
Chinyanga was arrested by the British police last year for encouraging people in Zimbabwe to burn down service stations and businesses in Harare through posts on Facebook.
The 50-year-old science teacher was charged on January 13 on four counts of encouraging terrorism.
According to UK media reports, Chinyanga appeared for a preliminary hearing at Old Bailey before Justice Sweeney and his preparatory hearing is set for May 28 this year, while January 10, 2022 is the provisional trial date.
Charges against Chinyanga are that on December 1, 2019, he posted a video on social media urging Zimbabweans to burn buses, service stations, fuel tankers and buildings to exert “pressure” on government to step down. This led to his arrest.
Political analyst and human rights defender Okay Machisa yesterday said the trial was in order as there was no room for violence in democratic societies.
“Violence has no place or space in democratic societies just like in Zimbabwe; we don’t have space for violence. Anybody who calls for violence has to face the rule of law and indeed, this is something which was supposed to be castigated left, right and centre by human rights non-governmental organisations (NGOs) as well as peaceloving people of Zimbabwe,” Machisa said.
MDC Alliance deputy spokesperson Clifford Hlatywayo said he had no information on the matter.
“Let me check on your issue,” Hlatywayo said. Political analyst Austin Chakaodza said: “The MDC Alliance leadership, human rights lawyers and NGOs are faced with a huge dilemma regarding the terrorism charges levelled against Chinyanda. They have chosen to sit on the fence because they don’t want to offend the UK government since most of their funding is from the UK.
“Therefore, their silence on the matter comes as no surprise because they cannot bite the hand that feeds them. The outburst by Chinyanda was an emotional response to what had happened during last year’s July 31 protests and did not deserve a terrorism charge.”
This is not the first time that Chinyanga has brushed with the law.
In 2015, he was detained at London’s Charing Cross Police Station over an illegal demonstration at the Zimbabwean embassy.
A LEGAL aid organisation which promotes children’s rights, Justice for Children (JCT) on Friday successfully advocated for the release of a 16-year-old pregnant Chinhoyi girl jailed for violating COVID-19 regulations.
The teenager (name withheld), appeared before Chinhoyi magistrate Melody Rwizi and was convicted on her own plea of guilt.
She was ordered to pay $15 000 fine or to spend 60 days in prison if she failed to pay. The magistrate suspended 30 days on condition that the juvenile does not commit a similar offence within two years.
JCT, through its lawyer Pamella Musimwa, successfully applied for the release of the girl to the Department of Social Welfare, pending an appeal against the magistrate’s ruling at the High Court.
It was the State’s case that on January 28, 2021, at around 11pm, the juvenile was loitering at Gadzema bus terminus.
She was in the company of two men who are still at large. A police chase ensued and the teenager was caught, but the two men escaped.
In mitigation, the girl told the court that she was a Form Three pupil at a local school, but was having misunderstandings with her mother at home, hence she was wandering on the streets.
She also told the court that she was loitering on the streets so that she could earn money for survival.
However, Rwizi said stiffer penalties on COVID-19 violators were necessary to deter those of like mind.
But JCT urged authorities to promote friendly systems in the rehabilitation and integration of child offenders.
“JCT is concerned about how children’s rights are being violated under the guise of enforcing lockdown regulations,” the JCT said in a statement.
It said section 81 of the Constitution provided for the protection of children including adequate protections by the courts.
“In all matters concerning children, imprisonment should be used as a last resort, while also taking into consideration the best interest of the child,” it said.