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Court revokes MDC Alliance activist’s bail

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BY DESMOND CHINGARANDE A HARARE magistrate yesterday revoked the bail of MDC Alliance national committee member Makomborero Haruziviishe for allegedly defaulting court hearing during the lockdown period. Haruziviishe denied defaulting court when he appeared before magistrate Vongai Muchuchuti-Guwuriro. He said the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions had prevented him from attending court as the Judicial Service Commission […]

BY DESMOND CHINGARANDE

A HARARE magistrate yesterday revoked the bail of MDC Alliance national committee member Makomborero Haruziviishe for allegedly defaulting court hearing during the lockdown period.

Haruziviishe denied defaulting court when he appeared before magistrate Vongai Muchuchuti-Guwuriro.

He said the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions had prevented him from attending court as the Judicial Service Commission had advised through a notice that court proceedings would not take place during the lockdown, except for initial hearings.

The MDC Alliance committee member was arrested last month and charged with kidnapping after he locked the office doors of Impala Car Rental offices accusing the company of aiding activists’ abductions by leasing its vehicles to State security agents.

Haruziviishe, who was represented by Obey Shava of the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, also challenged another warrant of arrest issued against him, where he was accused of failing to report at Harare Central Police Station as part of his bail conditions.

The ruling on that warrant is expected today.

Haruziviishe is denying the kidnapping allegations. He has also filed complaints against the police after he was arrested movie-style by people who refused to identify themselves.

“The accused person is challenging his arrest as he was arrested by people in civilian clothing who were brandishing guns. They refused to identify themselves and they fired gunshots towards the accused person,” Shava said during Haruziviishe’s initial bail hearing.

“They took the accused person to their unmarked vehicles and drove towards Chitungwiza where the accused person called for help saying that he was being kidnapped.  They then made a U-turn and dropped him at Harare Central Police Station,” he said.

Shava also said the court should order the police to track the persons who arrested Haruziviishe.

Allegations are that on the afternoon of October 15 last year, Haruziviishe, who was in the company of Prince Gora, Youngerson Matete, who were also arrested in connection with the case and other cases and are still at large, unlawfully locked the employees of Impala Motor Car Rentals inside a shop.

It is alleged they were waving placards denouncing the incarceration of Takudzwa Ngadziore.

The accused then left some of the placards at the entrance of the premises, but did not free the employees.

They were later rescued by the police.

Haruziviishe has two other warrants of arrest from other court cases.

  • Follow Desmond on Twitter via @DChingarande1