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Nyore Madzianike,Senior Court Reporter
SEVEN political activists, who were arrested upon their return from Maldives where they allegedly attended a workshop with intentions to subvert the Government, yesterday made an application for refusal of further remand.
George Makoni, Tatenda Mombeyarara, Gamuchirai Mukura, Nyasha Mpahlo, Farirai Gumbonzvanda, Sithabile Dewa and Rita Nyamupinga told the court that the State was taking inordinate time to complete investigations.
The State, led by Charles Muchemwa, told the court that it was making strides in furnishing the accused with a trial date as the docket had been forwarded earlier in the morning to the Prosecutor-General to fix a trial date.
“We have made an undertaking to provide a trial date, but information we have is that the docket is now with the Prosecutor-General for possible trial date consideration,” he said.
“It is worth noting that this matter is complex because it involves terrestrial information and some of that information has since been retrieved from the gadgets taken from accused.
“Investigations are complete and the docket is with PG for consideration towards trial date, in fact it was forwarded this morning (yesterday).”
Through their legal representatives, Alec Muchadehama, the seven accused the State of not acting in good faith.
“The accused were arrested on May 20, 2019 and came to court on May 22, meaning they have been on remand for seven months and 16 days,” said Mr Muchadehama.
“They were arrested for attending a seminar on non-violent strategies engagements. When they appeared in court, the State said they had cellphones and computers which had subversive material. They said they had six witnesses to record statements from and that they would require six weeks to complete investigations.
“Investigations ought to have been completed. The police and State should be held to their own undertakings. What we are hearing is that the docket has been sent to PG’s office. There is no guarantee on whether the trial date will be provided on January 31 or not, when they want the accused back in court.”
Magistrate Ms Rumbidzai Mugwagwa is expected to make a ruling today.
Accusations against the seven, who are members of civic society organisations, are that on May 13 last year they connived with their accomplices and travelled to Maldives where they underwent a training workshop organised by a Serbian non-governmental organisation called Centre for Applied Non-Violent Action and Strategies (CANVAS), with intent to subvert a constitutionally-elected Government.
They were arrested upon arrival at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport. Their notes, laptops and cellphones which contained the allegedly subversive materials were recovered and were sent to the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe for extraction of evidence.
Online Reporter