It is with a heavy heart that I write this letter to you after the tragic news of the passing of a gallant son of the Republic, Patson Dzamara. Equally, I am saddened yet enraged by the callous murder of the MDC Alliance’s Hurungwe District Ward 4 councillor Lavender Chiwaya. My colleagues Hopewell Chin’ono and Jacob Ngarivhume have spent more than a month in detention while MDC Alliance Youth Organizing Secretary Godfrey Kurauone is languishing in jail. Fellow citizens, I was charged with incitement to commit public violence as defined in section 187(1)(a) as read with section 36(1)(a) of the Code alternatively incitement to commit public violence as defined in section 187(1)(b) of the Code as read with section 36(1)(b) of the Code. Or alternatively, incitement to participa
Zimbabwe’s main opposition MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa has castigated President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s under-fire administration for orchestrating human rights violations to silence dissent in the wake of the ongoing Zimbabwean crisis. Speaking at the Rotten Row, Magistrates Court on Wednesday after denial of bail for MDC Alliance official Job Sikhala, Chamisa stressed that crackdown on dissent was a by-product of a stolen presidential election which has “begotten an illegitimate government exerting coercion to maintain its grip of power.” “Zimbabweans are under siege. The human rights situation is deteriorating. The political situation is a case of a crisis. “You can’t say it’s not a crisis when we have senior leaders of the oppos
Zimbabwe’s socio-economic and political crisis has received the attention of regional political players and civil society, with many calling for Sadc and the African Union (AU) intervention. Envoys sent by South African President and AU chairperson Cyril Ramaphosa to meet President Emmerson Mnangagwa and other stakeholders last week failed to meet the opposition as planned. Zimbabwe Independent senior reporter Bridget Mananavire (BM) spoke to MDC Alliance president Nelson Chamisa (NC) on the national crisis, as well as problems in the MDC Alliance. Below are excerpts of the interview: BM: South African envoys visited Zimbabwe last week and you did not get to meet them. What really happened and what reasons were given for the cancellation of meetings? NC: As the MDC Alliance we
SOME MDC Alliance bigwigs are said to be making a determined push to have the coalition's firebrand deputy national chairperson, Job "Wiwa" Sikhala, expelled for his radical political activities and dogged opposition to Zanu-PF and its government. The sources who spoke to the Daily News said senior Alliance officials had recently discussed Sikhala's jettisoning in the party's standing committee (SC) WhatsApp group of which the combative Zengeza West MP is a member. Contacted for comment, Sikhala would neither deny nor confirm the move to expel him saying if there were such moves he would respond to them after he had dealt with his current travails with authorities. All this comes as the government has come under intense local, regional and international press
The Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services has barred Beatrice Mtetwa from visiting jailed journalist Hopewell Chinono. Mtetwa who was blocked from representing Chinono in court by a Harare Magistrate attempted visiting “her client” at the complex but was barred by the prison authorities. The authorities have since written the letter below to Mtetwa:
ACTIVIST journalist Hopewell Chin'ono, who is being charged with inciting public violence, has been denied bail for the third time, with Harare magistrate Ngoni Nduna saying his release from remand prison could cause the unconstitutional removal of Zanu-PF from power. Nduna ruled that the changed circumstances that Chin'ono submitted were not convincing as the submissions were the same as in the previous bail attempt. The magistrate further ruled that it was illegal for the lower court to review its initial findings on the dismissal of the bail. "Even if the court found it out that there are new circumstances, it is not a guarantee that this court will grant bail because there are other fears that have been submitted. The court took judicial notice that the coronaviru
MDC Alliance Vice Chairperson Job Sikhala has testified that he was threatened with death by Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) Assistant Commissioner George Mutimbanyoka. Mutimbanyoka allegedly threatened Sikhala on several occasions including telling him that he was going to die in prison and should provide the name of his next of kin so that they inform him/her as soon as he dies. Sikhala has also complained about the place he is being kept in prison. He says he is being kept in Section D, where convicted hard criminals are kept. The Court has been told that the Section has also seen a number of deaths due to Covid-19. He was also kept in leg irons and handcuffs. Sikhala told the court that he no longer feels safe at Chikurubi Maximum Prison
HARARE, Zimbabwe -- A Zimbabwean journalist who has been held in prison for more than a month has been denied bail for the third time, while police continue arresting government critics. Journalist Hopewell Chin’ono should remain in jail, a Harare magistrate ruled Monday. Chin'ono is awaiting trial for allegedly encouraging people to participate in an anti-government demonstration planned for July 31, but which was foiled by police and military. He has been in custody since his arrest on July 20. His trial date has not yet been set but he will return to court for a routine remand hearing in September. “I will be strong. I am fine,” said Chin’ono from inside a prison van as he arrived at court Monday. Roslyn Hanzi, one of his lawyers, said prison autho
MDC ALLIANCE leader Nelson Chamisa has slammed President Emmerson Mnangagwa over divisive leadership and labelling political opponents as terrorists who must be flashed out. This follows recent threats by Mnangagwa against the opposition following a foiled July 31 anti-government protest the national leader said was meant to forcibly remove him from power. "This business of branding and blaming, labelling, condemning citizens as bad apples or terrorist to be flashed out it is unacceptable, it is the leader who set the tone for amenity, peace and harmony," Chamisa said Sunday. Chamisa reminded his rival of the duties of a leader he said should be found uniting as opposed to antagonising his people. "The frequency of any nation is set at the top by the leader, by t
The arrest of MDC Alliance deputy national chair Job Sikhala has opened a can of worms within the party with accusations flying around furiously on who exactly sold him out. This comes as two party members who had been living with Sikhala; Stephen Chuma and Jim Kunaka openly accused each other of selling out the Zengeza West MP. MDC Alliance deputy national chairperson Job Sikhala will appear in court today after he was remanded in custody on Saturday. This follows his movie-style arrest on Friday in Tynwald where a truckload of policemen armed with assault rifles and batons invaded Tynawald North in search of Sikhala. He was hiding at a house former Zanu-PF MP for Hurungwe East Sarah Mahoka used to reside. The police are said to have violently knocked down the gate to gain ent
