Zimbabwe lawyers challenge exorbitant bail

ZLHR lawyers have applied to have bail set at $400 for Honourable Fani Munengami and 5 others who were arrested on 17 September 2016, for allegedly participating in a Nera demonstration.

Jeremiah Bamu, Dorcas Chityo and Gift Mtisi filed the application at Mbare Magistrates Court where they will argue that the bail granted by Magistrate Mambanje of $400 was too steep and should be reduced to reasonable amounts in the interests of justice.  The matter was rolled over to tomorrow morning, Thursday 22 September 2016.

The application for the refusal of further remand in the case of State v Douglas Mahiya and 4 others who are all Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veteran (ZNLWVA) leaders was dismissed by a Harare Magistrate on Wednesday 21 September 2016. The remand hearing of the war veteran leadership who are being charged with undermining the authority of, or insulting President Robert Mugabe in contravention of Section 33 (2) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act was postponed to 17 October 2016.

Meanwhile, the High Court deferred the bail appeal hearing of Petros Sokole and 56 others to tomorrow 22 September 2016 after the public prosecutor handling the matter failed to come to court because of ill health.