The High Court has granted bail to three opposition and pro-democracy activists, Namatai Kwekweza, Robson Chere, and Samuel Gwenzi, who were arrested as part of a broader crackdown on dissent ahead of the recent Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit in Harare.
They were on July 31, 2024, at the Robert Mugabe International Airport.
The trio, along with Vusumuzi Moyo, an artist and sound engineer, was forcibly removed from a domestic commercial flight to Victoria Falls, where they were scheduled to attend the African Philanthropy Conference.
Chere was allegedly tortured in police detention and denied medical attention for his injuries.
The bail conditions for Kwekweza, Chere, and Gwenzi include, paying US$150 or its equivalent in Zimbabwean dollars, reporting to the police every last Friday of the month, not interfering with state witnesses and residing at the given addresses.
The three activists were represented by attorneys from the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights.
The regime of President Emmerson Mnangagwa has acknowledged that the detention of more than 100 political activists was a pre-emptive measure to prevent potential protests that could have embarrassed him during the summit.
According to Zanu-PF spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa, who spoke to journalists following the summit, the arrests were intended to suppress any plans for demonstrations against the government.
Meanwhile, Sean Timba, the son of incarcerated former cabinet Minister Jameson Timba, has been found not guilty of disorderly conduct and illegal gathering charges.
In a ruling delivered by Harare Magistrate Colleta Ncube, it was determined that there was insufficient evidence linking Sean Timba to the alleged offenses, leading to his acquittal.
Jameson Timba and 78 others were also arrested ahead of the SADC summit. They are accused of holding an unsanctioned political gathering. They have been denied bail several times.
Opposition Transform Zimbabwe leader Jacob Ngarivhume and former Binga North legislator Prince Dubeko Sibanda are also detained for allegedly planning anti-government protests.
