Harare magistrate Mr Hosea Mujaya on Thursday ruled that the five members of Civil Society Organisations arrested by police at Harare Airport on arrival from Maldives have a case to answer.

Mujaya made the ruling in an application by the State for the placement on remand of the accused persons which was contested by their legal counsels.

He noted that, there was “some nexus between the accused persons and the offence and therefore the application of placement of the accused persons on remand succeeds”.

The five are Tatenda Mombeyarara (37) attached to the International Socialist Organisation, Centre for Community Development in Zimbabwe advocacy officer George Makoni (39), Nyasha Frank Mpahlo (35) of Green Governance Zimbabwe, Gamuchirai Mukura (31) of Community Tolerance Reconciliation and Development (COTRAD) — and a woman, Farirai Gumbonzvanda, a volunteer at Rosaria Memorial Trust.

According to the state, the five allegedly received training in the Maldives with intent to roll out violent demonstrations in the country and are facing allegations of subverting a constitutionally elected Government.