Six Zimbabwean socialists are charged with “inciting public violence” (which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment). They were arrested on February 19 while meeting to watch video footage of democracy protests in Egypt and Tunisia. The February 16 letter from Zimbabwe below explains the latest developments.
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Yesterday, Magistrate Kudakwashe Jarabini dismissed the six defendants' application for the discharge of charges of conspiring to commit public violence. Their lawyer, Alex Muchadehama, had applied for discharge at the close of the state's case on the basis that the state had failed to produce sufficient evidence to require the defendants to put up a defence.
Jarabini ruled that the matter should proceed to the defence case as the state had established a prima facie case against the activists tending to prove the commission of an offence. He did this without giving explanations of his ruling.
The trial is set to continue on February 27 and the defendants hope to finish giving our evidence on March 2, as they are aware of the delaying tactics the state is using.
What happened yesterday shows the state wants to continue with its harassment of any opposition voice. This is despite what transpired during the trial with the state's "star witness".
The witness called himself Jonathan Shoko and said he was a police officer attached to Criminal Investigation Unit (CIU). But he was exposed as really being Rodwell Chitiyo and working for the dreaded secret police, the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO).
He took an oath under a false name.
The main aim of this witness, who attended the International Socialist Organisation (ISO) meeting that hosted the video screening, was to incriminate innocent people. Not only did he lie about his identity, but also lied about what he alleges to have happened.
It is punishable in Zimbabwe to lie under oath. It is interesting to note that during the time he was giving his evidence even the state-sponsored Herald newspaper was left with no option but to expose the fact the star witness's evidence had loopholes.
The magistrate could be seen laughing during the time “Shoko” was giving his hilarious made-up and rehearsed evidence. Any magistrate in an open and democratic society would surely have dismissed the case immediately.
We have already witnessed the violent disruption by police of a February 14 march by the radical Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA).
Last week, an academic lecture on “The global financial crisis and implication for the Third World: the case for Zimbabwe” that was scheduled to be addressed by Professor Patrick Bond from South Africa at a city hotel was stopped by police.
Dozens of armed riot police were outside the hotel, turning away potential participants.
All this is to send strong message of intimidation by the unpopular ZANU-PF [Robert Mugabe's Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front] as Zimbabwe moves towards the proposed constitutional referendum and possibly elections this year.
The draft constitution that was released on February 9 says that “a person is disqualified for election as President if he or she has already held office for one or more periods, whether continuous or not, amounting to 10 years".
This is not what ZANU-PF wants. At its congress in December, it endorsed Mugabe as its presidential candidate, yet he has been in power since in 1980.
The intimidation is meant to silence opposing voices as we move towards the climax of Zimbabwean political crisis.
Already there are seven MDC [Movement for democratic Change] activists who have been languishing in prison since May 2011 for the alleged murder of a police officer, yet the real murderers are walking free. If courts can no longer operate professionally but are decided by political interests, we must ask ourselves where are we heading as a country?
Though supporters of the "Egyptian six" had hoped to celebrate the first anniversary of their arrest on February 19 with them as free people, they remain optimistic that they will sail through, especially with the support that they continue to receive from within Zimbabwe and throughout the world.
The campaign is intensifying to put the government under pressure to drop the charges against the six. We appeal to comrades outside the country to help us in doing this. If pressure is not put on the state, the defendants will find themselves sent back to prison.
We are appealing to supporters to help raise funds for the campaign.
[To donate to the solidarity fund: Account Name: CDL–MINE–LINE Worker Solidarity Fund; Deposit reference: Zimbabwe Treason Trialists Solidarity Fund; Bank: NEDBANK, Killarney Branch, PO Box 87157, Houghton, 2041, South Africa; Branch code: 191 60535; Current account number: 100 185 3784; SWIFT code: NEDSZAJJ.]