The High Court has rejected an appeal by 73 members of the opposition CCC, including former MP and minister Jameson Timba, who sought bail after being denied by the magistrate’s court multiple times.
Only one out of the 74 accused was granted bail by the High Court.
The detainees are accused of organizing an illegal gathering to plan protests against the government. Authorities are currently intensifying efforts to suppress any perceived threats ahead of the Southern African Development Community summit in Harare on August 17, heightened by recent unrest in Kenya.
Justice Munamato Mutevedzi, in his ruling on their appeal, stated, “After careful consideration, I find no error in the magistrate’s court’s decision to deny bail.
The only successful appeal is for Maxwell Sande due to his age.” He emphasized that although he might have decided differently, he could not override the magistrate’s discretionary judgment, which he deemed judicious.
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As a result, Maxwell Sande was granted bail under the custody of his father, Cecil Sande, with strict conditions. However, the appeal for the remaining appellants (from 1 to 42, and 44 to 75) was dismissed entirely.
Justice Mutevedzi highlighted that the appellants were not randomly assembled but came from distinct clusters mainly in Chitungwiza, Epworth, and Hatcliffe suburbs.
A significant number were unemployed and under forty years old, sharing a political affiliation with the CCC.
They collectively filed for bail, citing various grounds in their appeal, which the court addressed during proceedings.
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