Chibaya, Four Other Opposition Activists Acquitted In High Court After Appeal

Source:


Chibaya,
Four
Other
Opposition
Activists
Acquitted
In
High
Court
After
Appeal

⋆
Pindula
News

According
to
the
Zimbabwe
Lawyers
for
Human
Rights
(ZLHR),
the
group
—
Amos
Chibaya,
Costa
Machingauta,
Monica
Mukwada,
Lancelot
Tungwarara
and
Aleta
Virimai
—
were
arrested
in
January
2023
by
officers
from
the
Zimbabwe
Republic
Police
(ZRP).
They
were
charged
with
participating
in
a
gathering
with
the
intent
to
promote
public
violence,
breaches
of
peace,
or
bigotry.

During
the
trial,
prosecutors
alleged
that
Chibaya
and
his
co-accused
had
gathered
at
Machingauta’s
home
in
Budiriro
for
a
meeting
linked
to
the
opposition
Citizens
Coalition
for
Change
(CCC).

The
court
heard
that
they
wore
party
regalia
and
chanted
the
slogan
“Ngaapinde
hake
Mukomana,
2023
Chamisa
chete
chete”,
which
prosecutors
translated
as
“Let
the
boy
get
in,
2023
Chamisa
only.”

In
March
2025,
Harare
magistrate
Sharon
Rakafa-Matsika
convicted
the
five
and
fined
each
of
them
US$500,
with
the
alternative
of
six
months
in
prison
if
they
failed
to
pay.
She
also
imposed
a
12-month
prison
sentence,
wholly
suspended
for
five
years,
on
condition
that
they
did
not
commit
a
similar
offence
during
that
period.

The
five,
represented
by
Chris
Mhike
of
ZLHR,
later
appealed
against
the
conviction,
arguing
that
the
magistrate
had
erred
and
misdirected
herself
in
finding
them
guilty.

On
3
March
2026,
High
Court
judges
Pisirayi
Kwenda
and
Davison
Foroma
upheld
the
appeal,
quashing
both
the
conviction
and
sentence
and
acquitting
the
five.

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published
in:

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