THIRTEEN political activists belonging to the little known Transform Zimbabwe political party, who were arrested and charged for breaching the Public Order and Security Act on Monday were each granted $50 bail yesterday and their case remanded to August 6 for trial.
OWN CORRESPONDENT
The activists were arrested for demonstrating demanding the release of their leader Jacob Ngarivhume, who had been detained for convening a national executive meeting of the party at Vashandiri Centre in Mkoba.
Midlands provincial magistrate Pathekile Msipa granted the 13 $50 bail each when they appeared in the Gweru Magistrates’ Court yesterday. Ngarivhume was taken to Harare where he will answer to the same charge on allegations of holding a meeting in Hatfield on Thursday last week.
The State alleged that on July 14, the 13 staged an illegal demonstration near the Gweru Central Police Station when Ngarivhume was being taken to court.
Further allegations were that they sang songs demanding the immediate release of Ngarivhume and dismissing the “dubious detention” of their party leader under POSA.
In April, 16 Transform Zimbabwe members were detained for five hours in Tsholotsho for distributing political material but they were later released without charge.
