Zanu-PF protesters out on US$50 bail

The 12 Zanu-PF supporters who were arrested for participating in an unauthorized protest at the party's national headquarters in Harare have been granted bail.

On Tuesday this week, the supporters were instructed to post a $50 bail each and return to court on October 23 for their routine remand.

The decision to grant bail was made by Harare magistrate Apolonia Marutya, who stated that the accused had demonstrated peacefully, and therefore, concerns raised by the State about public safety were not sufficient.

Marutya also emphasized that all the accused individuals are Zimbabwean citizens, making it unlikely that they would evade court appearances or tamper with witnesses.

During the previous week, Prosecutor Takudzwa Jambawu had opposed bail, arguing that while the accused had a right to bail, it was not an absolute right. He also contended that they were facing charges of public violence, which could potentially jeopardize public safety.

Jambawu further stated that the accused were warned by the police to cease chanting slogans but disregarded the directive. Consequently, the State believed that if released on bail, they might commit the same offense.

However, defense lawyer Tonderai Chikosha argued that his clients should not be subjected to undue delays while awaiting police verification of their addresses. He noted that the accused had no pending cases and were, therefore, unlikely to flee.

The charges against the 12 Zanu-PF members stem from their alleged involvement in a protest on September 19 of this year. During the protest, they purportedly disrupted peace and security by ignoring a police order to halt their demonstration against the ruling party's provincial leadership in Harare.