Zimbabwe | Prosecutors gunning for opposition MP 

HARARE – One of Zimbabwe’s youngest MPs, and a member of the opposition MDC-Alliance, is once again facing jail time.

State prosecutors on Friday applied for Joana Mamombe to be remanded in custody after she was late in reporting to police by 24 hours, which is part of her bail conditions.

Earlier this year, Harare West’s MP — 27-year-old Mamombe — and another MDC youth leader — Cecilia Chimbiri–  spent two months on remand at a Maximum Security Prison.

They’re accused of violating COVID-19 lockdown regulations by holding a press conference.

Alec Muchadenhama, Mamombe’s lawyer, said, “the state applied for revocation of Joana Mamombe’s bail, just because she failed to report at the police station on 27 August therefore she must be remanded in custody. But we were opposing that application by the state saying that she did not deliberately refrain from reporting as she had gone out of town and came late and went to report the following day.”

“So such a little omission is not to warrant the cancellation of bail.”

The Harare Magistrate’s court will make a ruling on Mamombe’s case on Monday.

At the same time, internationally acclaimed author, Tsitsi Dangarembga, who is facing charges of inciting public violence, has appeared in the same court after she held a street protest against President Emmerson Mnangagwa government’s last year.

Her lawyers are not happy about the way the matter is being dragged out.

Dangarembga’s lawyer Chris Mhike said, “we are frustrated that this matter is not taking off and it’s now been over a year since charges were leveled against my client and justice must be delivered swiftly otherwise it [will] become an injustice. So we must  put on record our great disappointment that the state has failed for over a year now to put its house in order”

Dangarembga’s case was postponed to 15 December.

Her lawyers hope her trial will finally start then.