via Trial of human rights lawyer Mtetwa continues | The Zimbabwean
THE trial of persecuted human rights lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa resumed on Monday 2 September 2013 at the Harare Magistrates Court with the second witness out of nine lined up by the State testifying.
Detective Assistant Inspector Wilfred Chibage testified as the second witness before Harare Magistrate Rumbidzai Mugwagwa after Mtetwa and her lawyer Harrison Nkomo finished cross examining Chief Superintendent Luckson Mukazhi.
Chibage appeared to be damaging the State’s evidence which it is relying upon to secure a conviction after he indicated that Mtetwa could not have interfered with the police search of outgoing Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s research and communications office located in Avondale suburb as she was under arrest and detained in a police vehicle and at the same time hand cuffed.
Mtetwa, who was arrested on 17 March 2013 was charged with contravening Section 184 (1) (g) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act for allegedly defeating or obstructing the course of justice.
Tawanda Zvekare, the Acting Director of Public Prosecutions in the Attorney General’s Office is leading the prosecution.
During Mtetwa’s trial, some truncheon wielding police officers loitered inside the court house.
Some of the State witnesses who are lined to testify include Detective Constable Ngatirwe Mamiza, Detective Sergeant Taizivei Tembo, Assistant Inspector Thabani Nkomo, Chido Chawanikwa, a police officer, Stembiwe Vera, a caretaker at Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s research and development office, Brian Mutusva, a computer technician in the PM’s Office and a driver, Zororai Mudariki.
Meanwhile, the trial of Arnold Tsunga, the MDC-T Member of Parliament-elect for Dangamvura-Chikanga constituency together with 49 other MDC-T supporters commences on Tuesday 3 September 2013 at Mutare Magistrates Court. Tsunga was arrested on 19 July 2013 together with 49 other MDC-T supporters and charged with committing criminal nuisance in contravention of Section 46 (2) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Chapter 9:23. The 50 MDC-T supporters were arrested while exercising their political rights to association and expression after conducting a door to door political campaign on the eve of the harmonised elections. Tinoziva Bere of Bere Brothers Legal Practitioners, Blessing Nyamaropa of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights and Passmore Nyakureba on Maunga Maanda Legal Practitioners are representing the 50 MDC-T supporters.
COMMENTS
How much money gets wasted in ZImbabwe on these trials based on trumped up charges? Inevitably, after procrastinating for months or years it often turns out that the prosecution has no case. People’s lives get ruined in the mean time, but think of the positive good that the money wasted could do if it was instead used to improve education and healthcare? What about infrastructure improvements that create jobs as well as a better life for locals? Stop hiring Chinese construction companies to build everything, and just use local labor.
DL haven’t you noticed the idea behind these court cases yet? Its not to win a conviction (they know they can’t because there is no case to answer) but as you rightly pointed out, its just to frustrate and destroy people’ lives. Plain Evil!
Their strategy is plainly apparent. What I was trying to focus on was how much public money gets wasted trying to make life difficult for non-ZANU persons. How inefficient is the system that Mugabe has created and oversees? No wonder the country’s falling apart. On the other hand, look at a benevelant dictatorship like SIngapore, where the standard of living is amongst the highest in the world and the government is amongst the most efficient and transparent in the world. That’s what Mugabe should be trying to emulate, not the China of the 1950’s.