By Wezhira Munya
On March 2024, Danisa Chikondere, the former aspiring member of parliament for Chivi South under the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) party, led by President Nelson Chamisa, was acquitted by the Chiredzi Provincial Magistrate on March 8, 2024.
Chikondere, who had been on bail since July 21, 2023, was represented by Advocate Charles Bvudzi, a prominent human rights lawyer based in Chiredzi. The politician had previously been granted bail by the Chiredzi Magistrate, with Advocate Frank Chirairo acting as his legal counsel.
The court concluded that Chikondere was innocent of the charges brought against him by Mr. Pedzisai Tizirai Gwamuri, a member of the ruling Zanu-PF party, who had accused Chikondere of stealing his cattle back in 2015. The court found no evidence to support the allegations.
Expressing his relief after the verdict, Chikondere stated, “I was arrested on July 19, 2023, on false charges, just days before the harmonized elections. I spent most of my time in police custody, shuttling back and forth from courtrooms, fighting for my freedom instead of campaigning for President Chamisa, the Chivi South councillors, and my bid to win the Chivi South Constituency.”
Chikondere went on to claim that his political rivals, particularly Saul Felix Maburutse, the current Zanu-PF member of parliament for Chivi South, had colluded with Gwamuri to use the legal system to persecute him. He accused Zanu-PF of employing intimidation tactics through the prosecution, which ultimately influenced the outcome of the August 2023 harmonized elections in Chivi South.
The events leading up to Chikondere’s arrest unfolded on July 19, 2023, at around 9 pm when he was apprehended at Nyahombe business center. He had just finished attending a campaign rally for President Nelson Chamisa at Mandamabwe Business Center in Chivi. The police took him to Ngundu police station, approximately 20 km away from the location of his arrest, following a stock theft complaint lodged by Gwamuri, a Zanu-PF member.
National Organiser Amos Chibaya viewed this case as politically motivated, considering the substantial time that had passed since the alleged offense occurred in 2015. Chikondere vehemently denied the allegations, asserting that he was in South Africa during the period in question.
After spending the night in police cells on July 19, 2023, Chikondere was subsequently transferred under heavy police guard to Tringle and then to Chiredzi. He endured two days in the frigid conditions of the police cells.
Expressing gratitude, Chikondere thanked his lawyers, President Chamisa, and the members of the CCC party for their unwavering support during these challenging moments. He vowed to persist in his fight for the freedom of Chivi South from what he perceived as Zanu-PF’s misrule and economic instability.
