Chaotic scenes as court orders further detention on Timba, 78 CCC activists

HARARE – Anti-riot police were deployed Thursday to disperse dozens of restless CCC followers and students who thronged the Harare magistrates’ court building in solidarity with the party’s faction leader Jameson Timba and 78 opposition activists, seized from the veteran politician’s Harare home over a week ago accused of attending an unsanctioned gathering.

The 79 were denied bail by magistrate Ruth Moyo who said the activists were likely to commit similar offences if released on bail.

They were not brought to court and they followed proceedings virtually.

Moyo left the courtroom in a rush after handing down sentence while forgetting to give the activists their next remand date.

After remembering her mistake, she returned and postponed the matter to July 10.

Outside court, scores of anti-riot police blocked the exit, directing everyone out of the court premises.

Opposition activists who thronged the court initially defied the order and started chanting, demanding the release of their colleagues, now known as the Avondale 78 after they had been arrested from Timba’s home in Avondale suburb.

Officers were also hostile to lawyers and journalists.

After they were pushed out of the court premises, the activists continued toy toying and chanting in denunciation of their colleagues’ continued detention, a situation that saw police start attacking them with baton sticks.

The wife of Ronald Hondongwa, a teacher’s union leader, was arrested in the protest.

Timba and his colleagues were arrested on June 16 on allegations of participating in an unlawful gathering at his place of residence.

He was arrested alongside his son, Shaun who was granted bail last week.

Another suspect who is a minor was also released into his mother’s custody.

In an interview, lawyers expressed their disappointment stating that the magistrate was wrong in deciding to keep their clients locked up.

The court made a finding that they might interfere with the state and investigations, alleging that they had already exhibited violent conduct during alleged clashes with police on their day of arrest.

“The court also said there is a possibility that they will be convicted and if convicted they might face a custodial sentence,” said Jeremiah Bamu.

“The law is clear that every suspect is innocent until proven guilty.

“We don’t believe that the state has sufficient evidence,” said another lawyer, Agency Gumbo.