Zim News Blog -NEWS NETWORK

SEVEN teachers’ unions yesterday petitioned Primary and Secondary Education minister Cain Mathema to stop the re-opening of schools until COVID-19 is effectively contained. In the event that the pandemic is contained, the teachers put forward 15 demands they want government to meet to guarantee their safety. The petition was signed by the Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ),

ZIMBABWEAN authorities on Tuesday 26 May 2020 charged three opposition MDC-Alliance party youth leaders, who are victims of abduction and torture, with committing public violence after they allegedly participated in an anti-government protest against hunger during the national lockdown period.

Source: Tortured abductees charged over lockdown hunger protest – The Zimbabwean

Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) members on Tuesday 26 May 2020 charged
Harare North legislator Hon. Joana Mamombe, Cecelia Chimbiri and
Netsai Marova with participating in a gathering with intent to promote
public violence, breaches of the peace or bigotry as defined in
section 37 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act and for
contravening section 5(3) (a) as read with section 5(1) of Statutory
Instrument 99 of 2020 of Public Health (COVID-19 Prevention,
Containment and Treatment) (National Lockdown) Order, 2020.

According to ZRP members, Hon. Mamombe, Chimbiri and Marova, who are
represented by Jeremiah Bamu of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights
(ZLHR), allegedly participated in an illegal demonstration held on 13
May 2020 in Warren Park 1 suburb in which opposition MDC-Alliance
party supporters allegedly staged a flash demonstration protesting
against hunger at a time when the country was under a government
enforced national lockdown.

The decision to press criminal charges against Hon. Mamombe, Chimbiri
and Marova come at a time when the trio is receiving treatment at a
local medical facility following their abduction, disappearance and
torture on 13 May 2020.

To date, no arrests have been made by ZRP of people who abducted,
disappeared and tortured the opposition youth leaders.

Meanwhile, ZRP members on Tuesday 26 May 2020 arrested and charged
Lovejoy Chitengu, the Youth Organising Secretary for the MDC-Alliance
party’s Harare Province with participating in a gathering with intent
to promote public violence, breaches of the peace or bigotry as
defined in section 37 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform)
Act and for contravening section 5(3)(a) as read with section 5(1) of
Statutory Instrument 99 of 2020 of Public Health (COVID-19 Prevention,
Containment and Treatment) (National Lockdown) Order, 2020.

The arrest of Chitengu, who is represented by Gift Mtisi of ZLHR,
follows that of Stanley Manyenga, the opposition MDC-Alliance party
Councillor for Ward 23 in Harare, who was arrested on 20 May 2020 on
similar allegations.

Manyenga, who is represented by Mtisi, is accused of participating in
an anti-government demonstration held on 13 May 2020 held at Warren
Park 1 suburb, where he allegedly carried a placard inscribed “ Unlock
Us Before We Revolt”.

Manyenga is out of custody after he was granted bail on Friday 22 May 2020.

The post Tortured abductees charged over lockdown hunger protest  appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

WHEN you listen to the speeches of our presidential candidates before elections, rarely do you [...]

Source: EcoCash losses High Court matters over freezing of it’s 54 000 agent lines – NewsDay Zimbabwe

The High Court of Zimbabwe has dismissed Econet Zimbabwe’s mobile money platform Ecocash’s application which sought to interdict the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe from suspending its mobile money agents.

DESMOND CHINGARANDE

In their ruling the High Court said they cannot interdict a lawful act and the case was dismissed with costs.

In their court papers Ecocash submitted that the RBZ issued a directive to them that they must suspend and freeze EcoCash accounts of agents whose transactional value exceeds Z$100,000 per month.

“The respondent placed a condition that those agents who wanted to continue with the business of transacting must reapply and application will be subject to confirmation by the respondent. The provisions of legal sections that the RBZ placed reliance on do not give respondent power to suspend agent lines from participating in the agent system. No crime has been committed by agent line holders, and considered together with all relevant facts the directive is illegal and irrational,” EcoCash lawyer Ntokozo Siziba said.

EcoCash says the RBZ directive exempted banks, bureaux de change, listed companies, international organisations and government agencies, but has affected large companies including Transverve, Zuva, Total, N Richards, Metropeech and Engen. EcoCash says the disruption has extended to its entire customer base.

The post EcoCash losses High Court matters over freezing of it’s 54 000 agent lines  appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

Source: Journalists get freedom at last | Newsday (News)

Two Zimbabwean journalists who were arrested by the police for interviewing three abducted MDC Alliance members have been granted ZWL$500 bail by a Mbare magistrate after spending four days in remand prison.

DESMOND CHINGARANDE

Frank Chikowore and Samuel Takawira who were represented by Paidamoyo Saurombe and Tonderai Bhatasara were remanded to June 15 by magistrate Manase Musiiwa pending finalization of the investigations.

Allegations were that on May 21 this year Chikowore and Takawira went to ParkTown Hospital in Waterfalls intending to enter the hospital High Dependency Unit ward where three victims of alleged kidnapping Joana Mamombe, Cecilia Chimbiru and Netsai Marova were admitted and interview the trio.

It is alleged as a security measure members of the ZRP were deployed at the hospital to ensure the safety of the victims and to ensure all unauthorised people barred from entering the hospital due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The State alleges that in consultation with the hospital administrator the police officers refused the two entrance into the hospital as per requirements of COVID19 lockdown statutory instrument.

On the next day Chikowore and Takawira allegedly proceeded to the hospital knowing that it wasn’t visiting time and an order allegedly given by the police for them not to enter the said hospital ward without a reference letter from Stewart Ephraim the hospital administrator.

It is alleged detective Collins Makore who was on duty providing security followed the two into the ward and he observed themselves as not maintaining social distancing with the admitted victims as is required by the lockdown leading to their arrests.

The post Journalists get freedom at last appeared first on NewsDay Zimbabwe.

The post Journalists get freedom at last appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.