Jane Mlambo| Harare Magistrate Francis Mapfumo will today hand down a ruling on MDC deputy national chair and ex-cabinet minister, Tendai Biti application for temporary passport release to allow him to seek mental health services in South Africa.
Biti, who is being tried for allegedly violating the Electoral Act, appeared before Mapfumo applying for release of the travel document saying he required counselling services for the trauma he suffered during his foiled bid to skip the country last month.
According to a letter he tendered in court, Biti is supposed to go to a private counselling institution for therapy following the rough experiences he went through when he attempted to flee to Zambia to seek asylum soon after the 2018 presidential elections.
The institution is called The Center for the Study for Violence and Reconciliation (CSVR), a non-profit organisation that offers mental health and psycho-social support to victims of violence.
“We have been following your situation since 8 August 2018. We hereby invite you to receive mental health services at our clinic,” read part of the letter.
The letter was written on September 14 this year and the organisation intends to take him through therapy sessions from September 18 until the 22nd of September.
The organisation also said, “It is not clinically indicated to have such a short period of treatment. Therefore, follow-up sessions will be scheduled.”
Prosecuting, Michael Reza challenged the application saying Biti’s claims were false.
“There is something fishy with the chronology of documents tendered by the defence counsel.
“The letter was written ‘organisation’, but the accused did not indicate he has a mental health problem. His application was triggered by the invitation he received from the South African organisation which an unusual way of doing business,” Reza added.
He also argued that Biti was determined to escape from the Zimbabwean court’s jurisdiction as he did when he tried to escape to Zambia in August when he was being sought by police.
In his application, Biti also said he intended to travel to Tunisia for a lawyer’s conference which will be held from September 26 to 30.
But Reza also challenged the request saying Biti’s bail conditions do not allow him to address any public gathering.
-Newzimbabwe.com