Takudzwa Changadeya
HARARE: Thirty-three Zimbabwean liberation war veterans have been freed after prosecutors dropped charges of promoting public violence.
The charges stemmed from their arrest on October 26, 2021, during a protest in central Harare, where they allegedly sang “Chimurenga songs” and attempted to present a petition to Parliament and the President’s office.
In a statement, Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), who represented the veterans, announced the withdrawal of charges by the National Prosecuting Authority NPA-Zimbabwe.
“We have liberated 33 veterans of Zimbabwe’s liberation war, who had been appearing in court for the past three years,” ZLHR said.
The veterans were accused of participating in a gathering with intent to promote public violence, breaches of peace, or bigotry, under Section 37(1)(a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.
Prosecutors argued the protest disrupted public peace, but the veterans maintained their innocence, asserting their right to peacefully air grievances.
ZLHR lawyers Paidamoyo Saurombe, Kelvin Vada, and Tinashe Chinopfukutwa filed an application challenging the charges, describing them as “defective” and lacking legal clarity.
“The charges preferred against them were defective,” ZLHR stated, adding that the accusations failed to specify how the singing of “Chimurenga songs” could constitute a crime.
The High Court recently upheld the veterans’ application for review, paving the way for the withdrawal of charges.
“The withdrawal of the charges came after the High Court recently upheld the war veterans’ application for review,” ZLHR confirmed.
