Paddington Japajapa

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Paddington Japajapa
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OccupationEvangilist , Political Activist
OrganizationDancers Association of Zimbabwe
Political partyMDC Alliance

Paddington Japajapa is a Zimbabwean Evangelist, board chairman of the Dancers Association of Zimbabwe and political activist allegedly aligned to the Citizens Coalition for Change. Japapa was invited by The Motlanthe Commission to give testimony over the post-election violence that resulted in 6 people dying.

Personal Details

No information was found on his age, place of birth, or family.

School / Education

No information was found on his Junior or High School, or any tertiary education.

Service/Career

In the 2000 Elections, (see A History of Zimbabwean Elections) Dzivarasekwa returned to Parliament:

Events

Arrest in 2018

Japajapa was arrested in Gweru for allegedly inciting the political violence which rocked Harare on 1 August 2018. Japajapa was charged with contravening section 36 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, Chapter 9:23 through incitement to commit public violence but he denied the charges. [1]

It was the state's case that Japajapa held a Press conference at a time election results were being announced by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) and threatened to call for chaos, claiming the elections had been rigged.

Japajapa was released on $100 bail.

Conviction

On 17 July 2018, Japajapa was jailed for an effective two years after he was found guilty of contravening Section 66A of the Electoral Act Chapter 2:13 (unofficial or false declaration of results).[2]

Harare magistrate Learnmore Mapiye initially sentenced Japajapa to three years imprisonment before suspending one year on condition of good behaviour.

Allegations were that on 31 July 2018, Japajapa held a Press conference at a time when election results were being announced by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) and threatened to call for chaos, alleging rigging.

The following day, that is, 01 August 2018, MDC-Alliance supporters violently stormed central Harare in protest, leading to the destruction of property.

Japajapa's utterances were considered inflammatory by the State leading to his arrest and prosecution.

He then appealed against the conviction and sentence at the High Court. However, a two-judge panel of then High Court judge Justice Felistus Chatukukuta, and Justice Pisirayi Kwenda sitting as the appeals court on 09 October 2023 rejected Japajapa’s appeal.

Immediately after rejecting the appeal, Justice Kwenda committed Japajapa to prison to start serving his two-year jail term.[3]

References

  1. Court grants Japajapa $100 bail - NewsDay Zimbabwe, NewsDay Zimbabwe, published: 21 Aug 2018, retrieved: 21 Nov 2018
  2. Prosper Dembedza, MDC-A activist Japajapa jailed two years, The Herald1, Published: 18 July 2019, Retrieved: 17 October 2023
  3. Fidelis Munyoro, Japajapa starts serving jail term, The Herald2, Published: 13 October 2023, Retrieved: 17 October 2023

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