(Last Updated on April 1, 2021 by GERALD NCUBE)
…Mahere says the conviction marks a sad day for freedom in Zimbabwe
HARARE – MDC Alliance National Executive member and activist Makomborero Haruzivishe is facing up to 20 years in prison following his conviction for inciting public violence and resisting police arrest.
Harare Magistrate Judith Taruvinga found the accused guilty of the two charges and will now await his sentence set to be handed down on Tuesday next week.
Zimbabwe’s biggest opposition, the MDC Alliance condemned the conviction, labelling it a case of weaponising the law against opposition members.
“MDC Alliance National Executive member @MakomboreroH has just been convicted of inciting public violence. He will be sentenced on Tuesday. This is yet another case of the weaponization of the law to persecute our members unjustly,” the party said on their official social media platforms.
Meanwhile, his lawyer, Kossam Ncube from the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) said the court has an option to impose a fine or sentence him up to 10 years or both for each conviction.
Ncube said they will soon argue for a mitigated sentence submitting that he disagrees with the conviction as it was based on ‘circumstantial evidence’.
Commenting on the case, MDC Alliance national spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere said the conviction marked a sad day for freedom in the country.
“The conviction of @MakomboreroH marks a sad day for freedom and constitutional rights in Zimbabwe. He is innocent. It is not a crime to demand a better society. The regime has declared war on aspiration and young people,” Mahere said.
Haruzivishe has other pending cases including allegations of kidnapping.