BY KENNETH NYANGANI
THE trial of 20 Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) activists who were arrested in Mutare in October last year failed to commence yesterday following the death of one of the accused persons, Tenson Muchefa.
ZCTU eastern region manager, Muchefa died on Wednesday last week at St Joseph Hospital in Mutare following a heart failure.
Muchefa and the other 19 activists were arrested last year at the labour organisation’s offices in the eastern border city while preparing to demonstrate over the 2% tax on electronic money transactions and other fiscal measures introduced by Finance minister Mthuli Ncube.
The protesters wanted to hand over a petition to Manicaland Provincial Affairs minister Ellen Gwaradzimba. Police had not sanctioned the protests, citing a cholera outbreak in the city.
Lawyer Passmore Nyakureba told the court of his client Muchefa’s death, saying they were still waiting for the death certificate. Muchefa was buried on Saturday last week at his rural home in Buhera.
Magistrate Notebulgah Muchineripi postponed the matter to October 2.
