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ZANU PF has appealed against a court ruling ordering police to transfer to hospital a top rights activist and several others accused of plotting against the government, The Herald said Saturday.
“We have been advised by the attorney-general’s office that they have noted an appeal against the high court order issued on Wednesday,” The Herald quoted national police spokesman Wayne Bvudzijena as saying.
“We are still holding them in custody until the appeal is heard,” he said.
But one of the defence lawyers, Alec Muchadehama, said they have not been formally notified of the appeal.
“It is just a way of trying to frustrate the release of our clients. The state intends to appeal but no appeal has been noted as far as we know,” he told AFP news Agency.
High court judge Yunus Omerjee on Wednesday ordered police to release to hospital Jestina Mukoko and several opposition activists accused of recruiting or goading people to undergo military training to fight President Robert Mugabe’s government.
The detainees’ lawyer has said they may have been tortured in custody.
Mukoko, director of the Zimbabwe Peace Project — a rights group which has been compiling cases of election violence — was seized from her home on December 3 by armed men who identified themselves as police.
Two members of her staff were taken away from their office days later. They are being accused together with 28 members of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party of recruiting anti-government plotters.
The detainees, including a two-year-old boy, were taken away from their homes and some from their workplaces by armed people who identified themselves as police.
They are expected back in court on Monday.
Mukoko’s location was unknown for several weeks and a high court order for her release went unheeded, sparking protests from international rights bodies. Paris-based media rights watchdog Reporters Without Borders on Friday urged their immediate release.
“The accusations brought against Mukoko are absurd and baseless. We call on the Zimbabwean authorities to free her and withdraw all the charges at once.
“The prosecution of these opposition activists has all the hallmarks of a government conspiracy to sabotage the power-sharing agreement,” it said.
Zimbabwe’s political crisis has added to the woes of the country suffering from world’s highest inflation rate, last estimated at 231 million percent in July and a devastating cholera outbreak that has claimed about 1,200 lives.
The MDC on Saturday said the detentions would further hamper stalled talks with the ruling party on forming a unity government after contested elections earlier this year.
“This persecution on trumped-up charges is simply going to jeopardise the process and spirit of a negotiated settlement which is already destabilised,” MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa said Saturday.
“Clearly the attitude …is going to puncture the dialogue …They are trying to create a movie story along the lines of Hollywood but unfortunately they are playing with people’s lives,” he added.
-AFP
u shld have not taken this bhichi and all sellouts to court.nw u r running around trying to stop their release.kutadza kuronga uku zanu.have u seen hw many lawyers r defending thisbunch.learn from china the people who sold baby milk and harmed chinese economy r facing the death squad no court no lawyers.this is wat a gvt with balls does.remove all indians from our judgiciary.those people r a more impedience to black progress.very dishonest.pple usually find it better to work for a white than an indian.wake up indians will neva b for blacks.u r wasting our time and resources by taking mukoko and biti and their cohorts to court.
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How low can a President and Government sink.This Govt is shameless,havanyare here chokwadi.One would think they would have learnt a lesson from the Ben Menashe days.Even these Zanu Pf judges see no point in remanding these innocent citizens.Ian Smith,the unrependent racist went to his grave insisting that Mugabe was a Terrorist and he was right,Mugabe is indeed a terrorist,a shameless terrorist.These people have not been proven guilty at all and this regime can afford to waste taxpayers’ money on a case like this.Attorney General Tomana should be ashamed of bringing a case like this to court,please be proffessional.
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Stupid Metro. Why do you say ZANU PF appealed? Is the MDC wedging its war against ZANU PF or against the State?
YOU CANNOT EVEN DO BASIC PROPAGANDA.
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Typical for this government and its contempt for the justice system.
When Mugabe speaks of “democracy” in Zimbabwe, he should remember the Constitution of the country, Rule of Law and the role of the judiciary.
The country has been run as a department of the ZANU PF for long enough that even parliament needs to define its true role a place to legislate and ru the country – ot just a talking shop, which is seems to be these days. It’s previous role was to pass legislation that gave some sort of legal standing to the ZANU-PF and the President’s wishes – like a “legal rubber stamp”.
From the passing of legislation through parliament (through both houses, then with assent from the Head of State) to the application of the laws by the relevant government department or agency and its enforcement via the Police, Taxation Office, and other agencies as required, with final decisions being those of a court if challenged. This process seems to work in most other countries, however (the government of) Zimbabwe seems to not have any repect for proper legal process – unless it operates in the Government’s favour.
The Rule of Law applies universally, not just under some circumstances. Of course people will arrive at different interpretations (based on where their interests lie) of the Laws, legislation and regulations . Where clashes occur, then the courts enter the picture, appeals are heard – and after the final appeal process is exhausted, that’s the end of the matter.
Rule of Law seems to be selectively applied by the State, especially in its decision to appeal the court order to release the detained persons, who have been accused of attempting to overthrow the Government.
In this case – is it ZANU or the Republic Of Zimbabwe that seeks to appeal the decision of the High Court ? Perhaps there is no clear difference between the two entities.
To assist the legal process in Russia – to seperate the Party from the State, after the collapse of communism in the USSR, the Communist Party was fully audited, then it was declared illegal, membership of it illegal, all memberships terminated and its assets transferred to the State.
At present, the Rule of Law is just a figure of speach, courts ignored by government, parliament can’t act with new legislation, as it will be rejected in the Sanate, or just not signed into law.
ZANU PF operates as though IT runs the country – and time has come for this to end. Maybe its time for the Parliament to act in a proper manner, iitiate legislation to resolve problems in the country, and enact laws and/or regulations that assert the Rule of Law.
MIND YOU – none of this will help feed the millions of starving people, nor will it clean up the water supply, or open closed hospitals – nor will it stop the ZANU-FF run Reserve Bank from issuing more Monopoly money or fix the economy.
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Yes stupid metro newspaper. Why do you say ZANU PF instead of Government. It just shows how you MDC RHODESIA do not understand the difference between MDC and Govt. STUPID STUPID newspaper. OBVIOUSLY YOU WRITE FOR YOUR PUPPETS WHO THINK EVERYTHING YOU WRITE OR DO IS SUPERIOR OR RIGHT. YOU STILL DO THE STUPID PROPAGANDA YOU USED TO SPREAD DURING THE RHODESIA DAYS. PLEASE STOP LEAVING IN THE OLD DAYS. CHANGE YOUR ATTITUDE AND START IDENTIFYING YOURSELF AS ZIMBABWEAN.
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