Linda Masarira issued with warrant of arrest

The Mbare magistrates' court has reportedly issued Lynda Masarira with a warrant of arrest for failing to appear in court as she was hospitalised.

Masarira, who is being tried for alleged public violence for taking part in a demonstration in July and spent some two months in remand prison, fell ill on Tuesday and was admitted at the Avenues Clinic in Harare.

Colleagues reported that she had a fever and also suffered from a chest infection and excessive vomiting, with some suspecting that her long stay in prison was taking its toll on the mother of five.

She is the chairperson of the Zimbabwe Women in Politics (ZWIPA) outfit and has since June been demonstrating against President Robert Mugabe's government.

However, reports indicated that the Mbare magistrates' court where she has repeatedly appeared for trial issued a warrant of arrest when Masarira failed to appear in court.

This is the second time Masarira has been issued with a warrant of arrest while seriously ill.

In the first case, a Mutare magistrate ordered her arrest when she could not appear as scheduled due to poor health.

The courts have given that as a reason why she has endured a lengthy stay at the Chikurubi Maximum Prison.

Patson Dzamara, a civil rights activist whose brother, Itai, a journalist, was abducted by suspected State security agents in March 2015 for leading protests against President Robert Mugabe through his Occupy Africa Unity Square campaign, visited Masarira in hospital on Tuesday.

He said in a message that he had asked the doctor who attended her to write a letter confirming that Masarira was admitted at the Avenues Clinic, but it could not be immediately established if that happened.