By Revesai Mavetera
Six members of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) were granted bail at the Gweru Magistrates court this afternoon, after being accused of destroying property belonging to FAZ and Zanu PF members. The accused individuals appeared in court in leg irons.
The six accused persons are Patrick Cheza, a 50-year-old aspiring member of parliament for Chirumanzu South CCC, Christopher Mutoboni (33), Tinashe Moyo (47), Elias Madhuviko (26), Tanyaradzwa Calisto Marimbe (23), and Alex Gamuchirai (37). The court officials had initially denied entry to the accused persons’ relatives, friends, and CCC members ,but were later allowed in to follow the proceedings.
Representing the accused, human rights lawyer Advocate Martin Mureri argued their case. After a thorough review, Magistrate Ms Banda granted bail to all six CCC members. The bail amounts were set at $50,000 rtgs each, with a total of $300,000 rtgs to be paid collectively. CCC Interim Organizing Secretary Honourable. Chibaya and his team began the process of paying the bail, and the CCC members posted the bail and the prisioners were later released Hwahwa prison today.
In a separate development related to the case, it was reported that one of the accused persons, Elias Madhuviko, aged 26, had contracted COVID-19 while in Hwahwa remand prison. As a result, Madhuviko was quarantined at Hwahwa prison for monitoring and did not attend the court hearing due to illness.
The news of the granted bail brought jubilation among CCC members who had gathered in and around the courthouse to show support for their compatriots. Honourable Chibaya expressed his satisfaction with the court’s decision.
