Judge orders Spooner’s release
The Supreme Court has ordered the release from remand prison of Bulawayo businessman, Simon Spooner, who is also the personal aide to David Coltart, the MDC’s MP for Bulawayo South.
He had been languishing in prison for nearly one month for allegedly participating in the killing of Cain Nkala, a Zanu PF activist. In his ruling on Friday, Justice Simbarashe Muchechetere dismissed the State’s objections to the release of Spooner and said he would give his reasons later.
The judge ordered that a warrant for Spooner’s release be issued immediately. Spooner was represented by Advocate Chris Anderson, instructed by Ms Nyaradzo Maphosa of Sawyer and Mkushi. Spooner was one of 14 people arrested in connection with last month’s murder in Bulawayo of Cain Nkala, the former chairman of the Zimbabwe Liberation War Veterans’ Association.
Nkala was abducted from his Bulawayo home, and a week later his body was found buried in a shallow grave near Matopos. President Mugabe declared Nkala a national hero and branded his killers terrorists linked to the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). MDC MP for Lobengula-Magwegwe, Fletcher Dulini Ncube, who is diabetic, has been denied bail by the High Court in Bulawayo despite pleas from family members who have cited his deteriorating health.
Ncube is also being detained in connection with Nkala’s death which the ruling Zanu PF party is using to whip up emotions ahead of next year’s presidential poll. Despite the government pointing accusing fingers at the MDC, relatives of the slain war veterans leader have said he was a victim of feuding within the ranks of the war veterans association. Update from ZWNEWS: Simon Spooner’s release was eventually secured on the evening of Saturday 15 December.
Numerous obstructions were raised by the police, despite the Supreme Court order. Spooner’s lawyers reported him to be in good spirits, despite a significant weight loss during his incarceration in “atrocious conditions”. Fletcher Dulini-Ncube was granted bail by the Supreme Court on Monday, but he is yet to be released. News of the other eight MDC members arrested at the same time was not available this morning. During their imprisonment, the two were held in tiny cells for up to 22 hours a day.
They were denied toilet paper, and the toilets in the prison were not working. Dulini-Ncube was also denied adequate supplies of insulin and medical attention, and suffered sight and hearing loss as a result.
Posted by Wellington Chadehumbe
on December 16, 2001. Filed under Politics.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0.
Both comments and pings are currently closed.
Socialize
