News / National
ZLHR ends incarceration of juveniles
09 Jan 2016 at 09:50hrs | Views
Chitungwiza Magistrate Rekina Dzikiti on Thursday 07 January 2016 set free three juveniles who were apprehended during a dragnet arrest by police on Tuesday 05 January 2016 and charged with committing public violence.
This was after the intervention by the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights to defend the juveniles.
ZLHR Communications officer Kumbirai Mafunda posted that police on Tuesday 05 January 2016 apprehended Lizbert Saruchera aged 15 and is a Form 2 student at Mutero High School in Masvingo, Takudzwa Chirwadzimba aged 16, a Form Four student at Zengeza 2 High School and Simbarashe Nkwezaramba aged 19 during a dragnet arrest effected by Zimbabwe Republic Police officers after they cracked down on commuter omnibus crews who stormed council offices over exorbitant commuter operating fees.
"The juveniles spent two nights in police detention together with 31 other accused persons and were only freed on Thursday 07 January 2016 after their lawyer Kennedy Masiye of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights successfully applied for bail before Magistrate Dzikiti," he said.
"Police charged the juveniles and the other 31 accused persons with contravening Section 36 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Chapter 9:23 for committing public violence, a charge which they denied."
He said the State prosecutors claimed that the juveniles together with their co-accused persons barricaded roads with stone boulders at Chigovanyika Shopping Centre in Chitungwiza and threw stones at some police officers who were dispersing a "riotous mob" which was demonstrating against Chitungwiza Municipality for hiking annual commuter operating fees.
"Lizbert and Takudzwa were granted free bail while Simbarashe was ordered to pay $50 bail. The other 31 accused persons were also freed on $50 because of the dissection of the Form 242 done by Masiye on the State's reasons for opposing bail for the accused persons," Mafunda said.
"Masiye argued that the reasons advanced by the State in opposing bail such as the fear that the accused persons could incite other people to demonstrate against Chitungwiza Municipality and that they could abscond because of the "gravity of the offence" were not convincing as insinuated by the Constitution that an accused person can only be denied bail if there are compelling reasons to do so."
The 34 accused persons will return to court Thursday 21 January 2016.
This was after the intervention by the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights to defend the juveniles.
ZLHR Communications officer Kumbirai Mafunda posted that police on Tuesday 05 January 2016 apprehended Lizbert Saruchera aged 15 and is a Form 2 student at Mutero High School in Masvingo, Takudzwa Chirwadzimba aged 16, a Form Four student at Zengeza 2 High School and Simbarashe Nkwezaramba aged 19 during a dragnet arrest effected by Zimbabwe Republic Police officers after they cracked down on commuter omnibus crews who stormed council offices over exorbitant commuter operating fees.
"The juveniles spent two nights in police detention together with 31 other accused persons and were only freed on Thursday 07 January 2016 after their lawyer Kennedy Masiye of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights successfully applied for bail before Magistrate Dzikiti," he said.
He said the State prosecutors claimed that the juveniles together with their co-accused persons barricaded roads with stone boulders at Chigovanyika Shopping Centre in Chitungwiza and threw stones at some police officers who were dispersing a "riotous mob" which was demonstrating against Chitungwiza Municipality for hiking annual commuter operating fees.
"Lizbert and Takudzwa were granted free bail while Simbarashe was ordered to pay $50 bail. The other 31 accused persons were also freed on $50 because of the dissection of the Form 242 done by Masiye on the State's reasons for opposing bail for the accused persons," Mafunda said.
"Masiye argued that the reasons advanced by the State in opposing bail such as the fear that the accused persons could incite other people to demonstrate against Chitungwiza Municipality and that they could abscond because of the "gravity of the offence" were not convincing as insinuated by the Constitution that an accused person can only be denied bail if there are compelling reasons to do so."
The 34 accused persons will return to court Thursday 21 January 2016.
Source - Byo24News
