SW Radio Africa news - The Independent Voice of Zimbabwe
Lawyers for three MDC-T activists who have spent two years at Chikurubi Remand Prison on a murder charge have secured their release on bail. Last Maengahama, Yvonne Musarurwa and Tungamirai Madzokere were arrested together with 29 others and accused of murdering police inspector Petros Mutedza in 2011. They all denied the charges. Lawyer Jeremiah Bamu told SW Radio Africa that the three were granted bail Wednesday morning in response to a petition filed last week. “The court agreed with us that it is time to release the trio on bail and we are processing their release. They should be out today,” Bamu said Wednesday. The lawyer said the three will appear in court on February 24th, together with four of their MDC-T colleagues who are already out on bail. The four co-accused are Lazarus Maengahama, Edwin Muingiri, Phineas Nhatarikwa and Paul Rukanda. Twenty-one other activists were acquitted last September, while Rebecca Mafukeni died in custody after prison officers denied her access to medical help. Lawyer Bamu said his clients are confident that justice will be served and they will be cleared of the murder charges. “As their lawyers, my team will do its best to ensure that they get the best possible legal representation,” Bamu added. The MDC-T has said it will not celebrate the release on bail of Maengahama, Musarurwa and Madzokere. “As a party, the MDC is not celebrating their release on bail because justice delayed is justice denied.“It was unfair and unconstitutional for the courts to deny them bail when the same courts have ruled that the charges that the three are facing are weak. However, we are happy that at last, the three will unite with their families, friends and party members,” the party said in a statement released Wednesday. The MDC-T supporters were arrested in Harare’s Glen View high density suburb following the death of officer Mutedza during alleged political skirmishes. The State alleged that he was murdered by the MDC-T activists, an allegation that prosecutors have failed to prove. The MDC-T maintains that the case is just one example of the political and judicial persecution of its supporters by the ZANU PF government.