FIVE Hwange villagers have been set free after spending two nights in detention following their arrest for allegedly protesting against the extraction of water from a dam in their community by a Chinese-owned power-generation company.
The five villagers, comprising four women namely Simangele Singa (40), Definite Munsaka (34), Chetani Mathe (35) and Lynette Zulu (34), as well as Likwa Nyathi (26), were arrested by the police last Wednesday in Diki village in Hwange, Matabeleland North province.
They were charged with committing a litany of crimes, among them obstructing water works as defined in section 118(1)(a) of the Water Act, disorderly conduct as defined in section 41(b) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act and public indecency as defined in section 77(1)(a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.
When the villagers appeared at Hwange Magistrates Court on Friday after spending two nights in police detention, prosecutors alleged that they unlawfully and intentionally obstructed employees of Zhongjing Helli Energy from laying water pipes meant to draw water from Kalope Dam in Diki village.
The prosecutors claimed that the five had unlawfully engaged in riotous conduct at Kalope Dam by threatening to strike Zhongjing Helli Energy employees with stones.
The prosecutors also alleged that Zulu, one of the villagers, undressed and exposed her bosom in the presence of other people.
Singa, Munsaka, Mathe, Zulu and Nyathi, who were represented by Thulani Nkala of the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, were set free on Friday on US$100 bail.
The villagers will return to court on October 17.
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