News / National
Mnangagwa grants amnesty to jailed MDC-T activist
03 Mar 2018 at 03:42hrs | Views
PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa has granted amnesty to Yvonne Musarurwa, one of the three MDC-T activists serving a 20-year jail term for killing Harare police Inspector Petros Mutedza in 2011.
MDC-T leader Nelson Chamisa yesterday confirmed that Musarurwa was set to be released from Chikurubi Female Prison under a presidential amnesty yesterday.
"Yes, it's true one of our jailed cadres, Yvonne, has been released, but we are lobbying government to release the other two because as far as we are concerned they are political prisoners," he said.
However, party sources said all the three jailed activists were released yesterday, but NewsDay Weekender was not able to independently verify the claims.
Musarurwa together with Tungamirai Madzokere and Last Maengahama were convicted and sentenced to 20 years each by Justice Chinembiri Bhunu in 2016 for fatally stoning Mutedza at Glen View shopping centre during an MDC-T rally in May 2011.
The latest development came shortly after MDC-T vice-president Elias Mudzuri indicated that they were piling pressure on the government to consider an amnesty for the three party members.
The group initially consisted of over 30 MDC-T activists arrested over the same matter, although the majority were later released for lack of incriminating evidence.
The MDC-T, however, insists that the activists did not commit the murder and that their arrest and jailing was politically motivated.
Justice minister Ziyambi Ziyambi recently disclosed that Mnangagwa had agreed to grant a presidential amnesty to serving prisoners to ease pressure on the country's congested prisons.
MDC-T leader Nelson Chamisa yesterday confirmed that Musarurwa was set to be released from Chikurubi Female Prison under a presidential amnesty yesterday.
"Yes, it's true one of our jailed cadres, Yvonne, has been released, but we are lobbying government to release the other two because as far as we are concerned they are political prisoners," he said.
However, party sources said all the three jailed activists were released yesterday, but NewsDay Weekender was not able to independently verify the claims.
The latest development came shortly after MDC-T vice-president Elias Mudzuri indicated that they were piling pressure on the government to consider an amnesty for the three party members.
The group initially consisted of over 30 MDC-T activists arrested over the same matter, although the majority were later released for lack of incriminating evidence.
The MDC-T, however, insists that the activists did not commit the murder and that their arrest and jailing was politically motivated.
Justice minister Ziyambi Ziyambi recently disclosed that Mnangagwa had agreed to grant a presidential amnesty to serving prisoners to ease pressure on the country's congested prisons.
Source - NewsDay
