MDC Alliance trio’s ordeal continues

MDC Alliance activists Joana Mamombe, Cecilia Chimbiri and Netsai Marova will spend yet another night in remand prison after Harare magistrate Wongai Muchuchuti Guwuriro deferred their bail ruling to tomorrow.

Mamombe and Chimbiri are facing allegations of violating Covid-19 regulations after they held an impromptu press conference at the Harare Magistrates Court where they complained about the arrest of MDC Alliance committee member Makomborero Haruziviishe.

Marova is facing a separate charge of assaulting a police officer after she protested at the Harare Central Police Station against the arrest of Mamombe and Chimbiri.

The trio made their bail application yesterday and magistrate Guwiriro remanded the matter to tomorrow for ruling.

The trio was represented by Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights member Jeremiah Bhamu and Rosslyn Hanzi.

Marova’s lawyers are arguing that her arrest was illegal as she was not made to sign the warned-and-cautioned statement in terms of the constitutionally provided criminal procedure.

Interestingly, during yesterday’s bail hearing, the magistrate ordered an investigation against police officers who arrested Marova after Bhamu alleged she was “manhandled and fondled by police officers at Harare Central Police Station” during the course of her arrest.

“My client was treated in an inhumane and degrading manner and was targeted for arrest as part of persecuting her,” Bhamu said.

The trio have been arrested on several occasions since they were allegedly abducted and sexually abused by suspected state security agents last year.

Authorities accused them of stage-managing the abduction and they are being prosecuted for the alleged offence.