Zimbabwe activists Kwekweza, Chere, and Gwenzi granted bail after month-long detention

ZIMSPHERE 

HARARE – Pro-democracy activists Namatai Kwekweza, Robson Chere, and Samuel Gwenzi have been granted bail by the High Court after spending over a month in pretrial detention. The trio, who were arrested on July 31 at Robert Mugabe International Airport, were each released on $150 bail.

The activists were forcibly removed from a plane and subsequently charged with disorderly conduct. The charges stemmed from their alleged protest at the Harare Magistrates Court, where they demanded the release of opposition leader Jameson Timba and other members of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC).

Chere serves as the secretary general of the Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ), Kwekweza is a prominent human rights activist and founder of WELEAD Trust, and Gwenzi is a CCC councillor in Harare.

Magistrate Ruth Moyo initially denied bail, citing the defendants' potential to commit further offences and incite public unrest. Moyo also expressed concerns over possible witness interference, which she argued could jeopardize ongoing investigations.

Observers have noted that the arrests occurred in the context of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Summit, which took place last month. The period leading up to the summit saw a wave of arrests targeting activists and opposition leaders.

Following the summit, ZANU-PF spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa made remarks during a press conference that were widely perceived as a mockery of the activists’ detention. His comments also came across as a confirmation that they arrested as part of a crackdown on dissent.

Mutsvangwa boasted about the party's use of the legal system against its opponents, stating, "There is no reason to keep them at the state's expense in jail after their failure [to disrupt the summit]. We reward their failure by giving them their freedom."

Mutsvangwa further downplayed the importance of the activists' release, contrasting it with the attention afforded to visiting heads of state. 

"There will be no camera that day if they are coming out of jail. But if they were heads of state, cameras would have been taken away from them," he said.

The activists' arrest and prolonged detention have drawn widespread condemnation from human rights organisations and UN independent experts, who have called for the charges to be dropped.