Source: Tarisai Machakaire & Tendai Kamhungira, Daily News
Civic Society leaders and pro-democracy groups turned out in full force at the Harare Magistrates’ Courts where spokesperson of the war veterans — Douglas Mahiya — was appearing following his arrest on Wednesday evening.
He has been charged with insulting President Robert Mugabe.
His bail hearing will continue today after the court dismissed an argument by his lawyers that the proceedings were unlawful in the absence of a prosecution certificate.
Magistrate Vakayi Chikwekwe ruled that the absence of a prosecution certificate did not take away the charges that Mahiya is facing and deferred the hearing to today.
The State is opposing bail arguing that the 61-year-old is facing a serious offence and likely going to abscond if released.
But the focus was on the support that Mahiya would receive in light of the war veterans’ stunning fall-out with Mugabe last week.
And pro-democracy groups came to give their support after launching an overnight campaign to rally behind the war veterans.
Interestingly, Mahiya was represented by the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), a civic grouping of lawyers that fights for justice in the country.
The ex-combatant is being given counsel by rights lawyers — Andrew Makoni and Harrison Nkomo.
Although the crowd was not as huge as the thousands that swamped the same courts two weeks ago in solidarity with #ThisFlag campaign leader Evan Mawarire, riot police struggled to contain war veterans and civic leaders who flooded Court 6 yesterday.
Respected lawyer and lecturer Alex Magaisa even penned an article urging solidarity with the war veterans.
He was joined by activist Patson Dzamara, who was among the pro-democracy leaders who came to support Mahiya.
Mahiya was arrested on Wednesday moments after President Robert Mugabe had issued chilling warnings to political groups, including the war veterans, who are calling for his resignation.
His colleague, Victor Matemadanda, who was likely to face the same allegations was yet to appear in court despite his arrest on Thursday.
Mugabe fell out with the war veterans who are rallying behind embattled Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa to take over from the nonagenarian — which saw the former freedom fighters issuing a scathing communique which formed the basis of the arrests and charges preferred on Mahiya.
Yesterday, the court was told that allegations against Mahiya arose between April 7 and July 21, this year, when he allegedly connived with other high-ranking national, provincial and district executive ZNLWVA members, who are still at large and authored a document that undermined Mugabe’s office.
According to court papers, the document was captioned, War Veterans Communique on the State of Zimbabwe’s Economy, the Zanu PF Party Leadership and the Way Forward for the People of Zimbabwe.
Prosecutor Tapiwa Kasema charged that Mahiya, as the spokesperson of the 33 000-member group of former freedom fighters, has the power to influence and manipulate the minds of the association’s members.
Police searches conducted at his house resulted in the recovery of three copies of the communique and documents titled Response to the President’s Attack on War Veterans.
Source: Tarisai Machakaire & Tendai Kamhungira, Daily News