7 arrested MDC-T Zvishavane activists freed

Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights has secured the release of seven Zvishavane residents suspected to be MDC-T activists who were arrested on Sunday.

The seven were nabbed during chaos that engulfed the mining town after police disrupted and blocked an MDC-T rally.

The seven, all unemployed are Lameck Sateko, Tobias Moyo, Clifford Mudzingwa, Trynos Shava, Tendai Tswana, Patrick Museva and Tapiwa Shava.

According to ZLHR, they were charged with
contravening Section 36 (1) (a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.

In court on Monday, presiding magistrate set them free blaming Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) officers for illegally arresting and detaining them.

"Prosecutors claimed that the seven Zvishavane residents were all in attendance at the venue of the MDC-T party rally and Sateko, Moyo, Mudzingwa, Trynos Shava and Tswana were arrested during the commission of the crime, while there were some witnesses who directly saw Museva and Tapiwa Shava burning tyres and blocking roads in the Midlands town.

"The prosecutors intended to use the "debris" of a burnt down flea market as exhibit of some property valued at $200, which was allegedly destroyed by the Zvishavane residents during their trial" it said in a statement.

Police fired tear gas to forcibly block the rally scheduled to be addressed by party vice president Nelson Chamisa.