'Mamombe feigning illness to delay trial'

JUSTICE minister Ziyambi Ziyambi has claimed that Harare West legislator Joanah Mamombe (Citizens Coalition for Change) has been employing delaying tactics in the finalisation of her "fake abduction" case through feigning illness in most cases.

In a statement which Ziyambi presented in Geneva, Switzerland, when he appeared before the Human Rights Council last week, he said Mamombe and CCC activists Cecilia Chimbiri and Netsai Marova were liars who wanted to taint the government's image over issues of human rights.

Mamombe and her fellow activists have been in and out of the courts over a number of criminal charges that are still pending before the courts, including staging a demonstration during the COVID-19 lockdown period.

Ziyambi said the issue of the alleged enforced disappearances of the three female opposition political party members did not fall under the category of forced disappearances, but was an alleged case of abduction.

"This case was extensively investigated by the Zimbabwe Republic Police. The resultant police report revealed that their allegations were false and that they had staged the abductions in a bid to tarnish the image of the government. Consequently, they were charged and arraigned before the courts. Since the commencement of the court proceedings, the three women have employed dilatory tactics to evade trial, including faking mental health illness," he said.

"One of them has since absconded to Europe and a warrant of arrest has since been issued against her. The remaining two have been granted bail and are currently out of custody. If this matter is proved, it could perhaps assist to lessen the number of false abduction and disappearance claims levelled against the government, which normally coincide with important international events."

Marova has been issued with a arrest warrant after she failed to turn up in court for trial.

Ziyambi said COVID-19 had derailed finalisation of most criminal cases in the country.