News / National
Magistrate in no show for CCC activists' judgement
11 Nov 2024 at 15:43hrs | Views
The much-anticipated judgment for Senator Jameson Timba and 66 other Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) activists has been postponed once again, following the absence of the presiding magistrate, Collet Ncube, from court on Monday. Instead, Magistrate Donald Ndirowei informed the court that the matter would be adjourned to Friday, November 15, 2024, for the ruling.
Timba and his co-accused were arrested in June 2024 while commemorating the Day of the African Child in Harare. They have been detained throughout their trial after being denied bail on three separate occasions. The trial concluded last month, but the activists remain incarcerated in conditions described as "inhabitable" by their lawyers and human rights defenders.
Lazarus Mbereko, one of the lawyers representing Timba and the other activists, expressed optimism that the judgment would be delivered on Friday. "The matter was postponed to Friday at 11:15 AM because the trial magistrate was unavailable. We hope he will be present on Friday to deliver his judgment," Mbereko said.
Darlington Chigumbu, the CCC Secretary for Information and Publicity, expressed the party's frustration over the prolonged delays. "They should not be in jail in the first place. We are deeply disappointed by the drawn-out nature of this case. Justice delayed is justice denied. They know these individuals did not commit a crime, so they are punishing them. It is politically motivated," he said.
Chigumbu voiced hope that the judgment would finally lead to the release of the activists. "We remain hopeful that on Friday, the judgment will free our colleagues so that they can go home and reconnect with their families. They have been in jail for far too long," he said.
He also condemned what he described as the selective application of the law, highlighting that the right to assemble, protected by Zimbabwe's constitution, was being criminalized. "Zanu PF continues to hold its public meetings without being disrupted or arrested by the police," Chigumbu pointed out.
The activists have continued to call for their release, citing the politically motivated nature of their detention. The postponement of the judgment marks another chapter in the drawn-out legal battle that has drawn both local and international attention.
Timba and his co-accused were arrested in June 2024 while commemorating the Day of the African Child in Harare. They have been detained throughout their trial after being denied bail on three separate occasions. The trial concluded last month, but the activists remain incarcerated in conditions described as "inhabitable" by their lawyers and human rights defenders.
Lazarus Mbereko, one of the lawyers representing Timba and the other activists, expressed optimism that the judgment would be delivered on Friday. "The matter was postponed to Friday at 11:15 AM because the trial magistrate was unavailable. We hope he will be present on Friday to deliver his judgment," Mbereko said.
Darlington Chigumbu, the CCC Secretary for Information and Publicity, expressed the party's frustration over the prolonged delays. "They should not be in jail in the first place. We are deeply disappointed by the drawn-out nature of this case. Justice delayed is justice denied. They know these individuals did not commit a crime, so they are punishing them. It is politically motivated," he said.
Chigumbu voiced hope that the judgment would finally lead to the release of the activists. "We remain hopeful that on Friday, the judgment will free our colleagues so that they can go home and reconnect with their families. They have been in jail for far too long," he said.
He also condemned what he described as the selective application of the law, highlighting that the right to assemble, protected by Zimbabwe's constitution, was being criminalized. "Zanu PF continues to hold its public meetings without being disrupted or arrested by the police," Chigumbu pointed out.
The activists have continued to call for their release, citing the politically motivated nature of their detention. The postponement of the judgment marks another chapter in the drawn-out legal battle that has drawn both local and international attention.
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