Paul Nyathi

BULAWAYO Magistrate Shepherd Mjanja on Monday acquitted Muzingaye Thaka, a 22 year-old pro-democracy campaigner, who had been on trial after he was arrested in July for allegedly embarking on a one-man protest against the arrest and detention of freelance

journalist Hopewell Chin’ono and opposition Transform Zimbabwe political party leader Jacob Ngarivhume and also demanding an end to corruption.

Muzingaye was arrested on 30 July and charged with inciting public violence as defined in section 36 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act for allegedly inciting public violence, when he was carrying a placard written “Free Hopewell and Jacob, journalism is not a crime, kasifuni bumbulu, sesidiniwe, we are tired, we deserve better. Stop corruption. We want better. Stop police brutality, we want better. Respect the Constitution. We want a living wage, free Zimbabwe.”

Muzingaye was acquitted at the close of the prosecution case after his lawyer Lison Ncube of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights applied for discharge arguing that the pro-democracy campaigner had not committed an offence warranting him to be put on trial.

Magistrate Mjanja ruled that prosecutors dismally failed to prove the offence during trial and that police officers who arrested Muzingaye were overzealous and acted prematurely in apprehending him.

Apart from Muzingaye, several people across the country are appearing in court facing similar charges as the Bulawayo-based pro-democracy campaigner after they were arrested in July and early August for allegedly protesting against the detention of Chin’ono and Ngaruvhume and also demanding that government takes action on rampant corruption in Zimbabwe.

ZLHR