Kwekweza, Chere, Gwenzi granted bail

The High Court has granted bail to three opposition activists, Namatai Kwekweza, Robson Chere, and Samuel Gwenzi. The three were arrested on 31 July 2024, alongside Vusumuzi Moyo, an artist and sound engineer, after being forcibly removed from a domestic commercial flight at Robert Mugabe International Airport in Harare. They were on their way to Victoria Falls to attend the African Philanthropy Conference.

During his detention, Chere was severely tortured and denied medical attention for the life-threatening injuries he sustained. The activists were charged with planning disorderly conduct in a public place, reflecting colonial-style policing tactics. Their arrests occurred amid a broader crackdown on civil society and opposition activists in the lead-up to the recent Southern African Development Community summit in Harare.

The bail conditions for Kwekweza, Chere, and Gwenzi are in such that each individual must pay US$150 or its equivalent in Zimbabwean dollars (ZiG). Report to the police every last Friday of the month. They were also ordered to refrain from interfering with state witnesses and must reside at specified residential addresses.

Kwekweza, Chere, and Gwenzi were represented by attorneys from Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights.