Harare Magistrate In No Show To Deliver Ruling On Timba, CCC Activists' Case
The long-awaited judgment for Jameson Timba and 66 other Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) activists was on Monday postponed again due to the absence of the presiding magistrate, Collet Ncube.
Magistrate Donald Ndirowei said that the case would be adjourned until Friday, November 15, 2024.
Timba and his co-accused were arrested in June while commemorating the Day of the African Child in Harare and were charged with participating in an unlawful gathering.
They have been denied bail on three separate occasions and have remained in detention throughout the trial.
While the trial concluded last month, the activists continue to be incarcerated in conditions described by lawyers and human rights defenders as “inhabitable.”
Darlington Chigumbu, who is Budiriro South and the CCC Secretary for Information and Publicity, said:
They should not be in jail in the first place. We are deeply disappointed by the drawn-out nature of this case. Justice delayed is justice denied.
They know these individuals did not commit a crime, so they are punishing them. It is politically motivated.
We remain hopeful that on Friday, the judgment will free our colleagues so that they can go home and reconnect with their families. They have been in jail for far too long.
Initially, there were 80 suspects in the case. However, 12 of the suspects, including Timba’s son Sean, were discharged at the conclusion of the State’s case.
The entire group was ultimately acquitted of the charge of disorderly conduct.
More: Pindula News
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