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Nyore Madzianike
Senior Court Reporter
MDC-Alliance youth activist and former Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU) secretary-general Makomborero Haruzivishe will today know his fate when a Harare magistrate makes a ruling on his default enquiry after being issued with warrants of arrest for failing to attend court since last year.
Haruzivishe was arrested last year for participating in illegal demonstrations in Harare along with other activists including legislator Joana Mamombe, Cecelia Chimbiri, Netsai Marova, Obey Sithole, Arnold Tendayi Kanhema among other opposition activists.
Yesterday Haruzivishe, who was being represented by lawyer Mr Obey Shava, appeared before Harare provincial magistrate Mrs Vongai Guwuriro to explain why he failed to appear in court for his routine remand since last year.
He was on bail pending trial for participating in a public gathering with intent to cause public violence and violating the Covid-19 national lockdown regulations.
Through his lawyer, Haruzivishe told the court that he attended court, but was turned away by the police who said the court were following the practice direction issued by Chief Justice Luke Malaba and was waiting to be summoned back in court.
But it was the attention-seeking MDC-A and zinasu activists led by Joana Mamombe, who sought heighten the situation outside the courthouse when they addressed journalists issuing all manner of threats against the Government, judicial officers and the police. Reading a prepared statement, Mamommbe denigrated the law enforcement agents and called for the resignation of Police Commissioner-General Godwin Matanga.
Mamombe made unverified claims that there were over 1 500 human rights abuses, 187 assaults, seven extra-judicial killings and 35 abductions reports made against police last year.
It is not clear what Mamombe and her crew sought to achieve by acting in a manner that sought to intimidate officers of the law in a case in which Haruzvisishe on his own volition is said to have absconded court.
Haruzivishe was recently arrested on allegations of forcing his way together with others, into Impala Motor Spares and detaining employees, whom they accused of causing the arrest of their colleague Takudzwa Ngadziore last year.
He is charged with kidnapping, participating in a gathering with intent to commit public violence, and of breaching peace.
Online Reporter