GWERU Five suspected MDC-T youths arrested last week for allegedly hijacking a residents demonstration against poor service delivery have been released on bail.
The five Levy Chiminya, Tendai Munhamo, Edmore Masepa, Hamani Makava and Silas Mhere were granted $50 bail each by Gweru magistrate Florence Nago on Wednesday and remanded to February 15.
Their lawyer Reginald Chidawanyika confirmed yesterday his clients, who are facing charges of contravening the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, had been freed.
They are being accused of infiltrating a residents demonstration and turning it into a political march and no longer carrying the mandate of what the demonstration had been cleared for, Chidawanyika said.
The court ordered the youths to continue residing at their given addresses, not to interfere with State witnesses and report every Friday to the Criminal Investigation Department.
It is alleged the youths infiltrated a protest march organised by the Gweru Residents and Ratepayers Association (GRRA) and started chanting anti-Zanu PF slogans.
This allegedly angered the police officers providing escort to the demonstrators, leading to the activists arrest.
Police initially arrested GRRA chairperson Selipiwe Cornelius and later released him.
