CCC Glen View-40's request for removal from remand rejected

Glenview South lawmaker, Grandmore Hakata, jointly charged with 39 other Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) activists for holding an unsanctioned rally have had their application for refusal of further remand dismissed by a Harare magistrate for lack of merit.

The 40 missed Election Day in August last year after they were held for the offence before languishing in jail for over a month.

Through their lawyer, Kudzai Kadzere, the activists filed an application before Harare magistrate Aplonia Marutya, declaring that they should be set free because there was no progress in their case.

Prosecution had given a notice to avail a trial date on Tuesday  but the state instead sought a postponement.

"We apply that the accused be removed from remand.

"They have been attending court since last year and it has a very significant financial cost.

"There is no good reason why the state has failed to give a trial date," Kadzere said.

Appearing for the State, Thomas Chanakira argued that investigations were almost complete.

"There are reasonable factors to this delay. We have the docket.

"It was only assigned to a different prosecutor, Zebediah Bofu. There are two outcomes; either we go for trial or the accused can be removed from remand," he said.

Marutya ruled in favour of the state, noting that Bofu's arguments were acceptable.

Hakata and his alleged accomplices were arrested in August last year while holding what police found as an illegal electoral campaign road show at Machipisa shopping centre, Highfield, Harare.

It is state's case that they had notified authorities about a campaign rally at Churu Farm, but they diverted from the planned location which caused their arrest.