ZIMBABWEAN authorities on Monday 17 January 2022 arrested three Masvingo residents and charged them with contravening the Maintenance of Peace and Order (MOPO) Act, which is a reincarnation of the much loathed Public Order and Security Act, which was repealed three years ago.
Source: Masvingo trio charged over MOPO, a reincarnation of POSA – The Zimbabwean
The three Masvingo residents namely Vigisai Norupandai aged 53 years,
Aleck Tabe aged 38 years and Magie Chakabuda aged 62 years, appeared
at Masvingo Magistrates Court on Tuesday 18 January 2022 after they
were arrested on Monday 17 January 2022 by Zimbabwe Republic Police
(ZRP) officers and charged with contravening Section 7(5) of MOPO Act
for allegedly failing to give notice of a gathering to a regulatory
authority.
Prosecutors claimed that Norupandai, Tabe and Chakabuda failed to give
notice of a gathering in terms of the provisions of the MOPO Act, when
they allegedly gathered at Aphiri Vegetable Market in Masvingo on
Sunday 16 January 2022.
The trio, which was represented by Phillip Shumba of Zimbabwe Lawyers
for Human Rights (ZLHR), was granted $5 000 bail each by Masvingo
Magistrate Patience Madondo and ordered not to interfere with State
witnesses. Norupandai, Tabe and Chakabuda return to court on 24
February 2022, where their trial is scheduled to commence.
Besides Norupandai, Tabe and Chakabuda, Manyara Irene Muyenziwa, the
leader of the opposition Freedom of Rights Under Sovereign (FORUS)
party and two of her lieutenants were arrested by ZRP officers on 7
September 2021 in Bulawayo and charged with contravening Section 7(5)
of the MOPO Act.
Muyenziwa, together with Mono Minela and Tinashe Muzamhindo were
accused of failing to notify the regulating authority of a gathering
when they allegedly convened a public meeting on 7 September 2021 at
Stutterfords Building in Bulawayo.
The trial of the trio, represented by Lison Ncube of ZLHR, commenced
last year and will resume on Monday 24 January 2022 at Bulawayo
Magistrates Court. The trial had to be adjourned after the presiding
Magistrate Steven Ndlovu resigned. Patience Ndlovu is representing the
State as the prosecutor.
In Masvingo, two other residents namely Langton Guvava and Phillip
Mahachi on Wednesday 19 January 2022 pleaded not guilty when their
trial on charges of contravening Section 7(5) of the MOPO Act
commenced before Magistrate Madondo.
Guvava and Mahachi are accused of failing to give notice to ZRP, which
is the regulating authority, of a gathering which they reportedly
convened on 19 September 2021 at Zvavahera Business Centre in Gutu in
Masvingo province, where 36 people reportedly attended.
Guvava and Mahachi, who are out of custody on ZWL2 500 bail each and
are represented by Martin Mureri of ZLHR, return to court on Tuesday
25 January 2022 for continuation of their trial.
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