Zimbabwean authorities have summoned Harare West constituency legislator Hon. Joanah Mamombe to stand trial on 24 November 2020 on charges of unnecessary movement in April at a time when government imposed a national lockdown aimed at curbing the spread of coronavirus.
Mamombe was on Wednesday 11 November 2020 served with summons advising her to appear at Harare Magistrates Court at 8:AM on 24 November 2020 to answer to charges of contravening section 4(1)(a) of the Public Health (COVID-19 Prevention, Containment and Treatment) (National Lockdown) Order Statutory Instrument 83/2020 as read with section 3 of Statutory Instrument 110/20 for unnecessary movement during national lockdown.
Authorities claim that the Harare West constituency legislator unlawfully and without sufficient cause made unnecessary movement during the national lockdown by leading an entourage of more than 10 people and proceeded to Mukushi Compound in Tynwald North and Chichera Farm in Marlborough suburb.
Already, Hon. Mamombe, together with MDC-Alliance party youth leaders Cecelia Chimbiri and Netsai Marova are currently appearing in court answering to a cocktail of charges including participating in an anti-government protest against hunger during the national lockdown period 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 trio is also answering to charges of publishing or communicating false statements prejudicial to the state as defined in section 31(a)(ii) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act and publishing or communicating false statements prejudicial to the state as defined in section 31(a)(iii) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act as well as defeating or obstructing the course of justice as defined in section 184(1)(f) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.
Prosecutors claim that Hon. Mamombe, Marova and Chimbiri, who are victims of torture and abduction, stage managed their abduction and told falsehoods to their lawyers, relatives and friends that they had been abducted on 13 May 2020.
Source: Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR)
