By Talent Gondo

CHIVI Magistrate Bishard Chineka has set free three Great Zimbabwe University (GZU) students, who were arrested last week and charged with public violence for allegedly participating in a protest against the hiking of tuition fees at the university.

The three GZU students, Hererimo Giya, Eutychus Mahwekwe and Tinotenda Kumire were however slapped with stringent bail conditions including reporting thrice a week at Mashava Police Station and writing their examinations in the company of security details.

The three were arrested by Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) officers on Friday 13 April 2018 and charged with public violence as defined in section 36(1)(a) as read with section 36(2)(e) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.

It is the state’s case that the trio, represented by Martin Mureri of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZHLR) barricaded some roads at GZU campus and threw stones at some ZRP officers and at the university buildings, leaving the university’s property damaged during the fees protest.

Magistrate Chineka set free Giya, Mahwekwe and Kumire after granting them $50 bail and remanding them out of custody to Friday 27 April 2018.

The trio were however slapped with stringent bail conditions where they were ordered to report three times a week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at Mashava Police Station.

The students were also ordered to be accompanied by ZRP officers each time they visit GZU campus to write their end of semester examinations.