30 cops to testify against Ngarivhume in disorderly conduct trial, court told
Transform Zimbabwe leader to spend second weekend in remand prison
By Staff Reporter
Prosecutors are planning to assemble 30 witnesses, all police officers, to testify against opposition leader Jacob Ngarivhume’s trial for disorderly conduct.
This came out Friday when the 46-year-old Transform Zimbabwe leader appeared at the Harare Magistrates’ Court for bail hearing.
Ngarivhume was arrested on Friday last week in Mutare before being transferred to Harare for court appearance.
He is jointly charged with Kelvin Gonde (45) on two counts of participating in an unlawful gathering and disorderly conduct.
Prosecutors claim the opposition leader had joined nearly 80 Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) activists seized from party faction leader Jameson Timba’s Avondale home in Harare 16 June for allegedly participating in an unlawful gathering.
He will spend his second weekend in remand prison after his bail hearing was on Friday rolled over to August 14 by a Harare magistrate.
The state is opposing bail.
Investigating officer Victor Mukohwa told the court that he wants to record statements from 30 witnesses who are all police officers.
Mukohwa said that could only be possible after the upcoming SADC Summit in Harare this coming week.
“I will need to record statements from 30 witnesses. The witnesses are police officers and they will have their statements recorded after the 44th SADC Summit when most of them will be free,” he said.
The arrest of the opposition leader follows a widely condemned renewed government crackdown on opposition and rights activists amid protest fears by government during the summit.
Over 160 government critics including student activists have either been arrested or harassed by police in the past two months as tensions remain high in the country.
