Gwisai found guilty of inciting public violence

Posted by on Monday, March 19, 2012 in Judiciary, Zimbabwe politics | 8 comments

Munyaradzi Gwisai

By Tichaona Sibanda
19 March 2012

University of Zimbabwe Lecturer and former MDC-T MP, Munyaradzi Gwisai, was on Monday found guilty of conspiracy to incite public violence with a view to overthrowing the unity government.

Gwisai was convicted together with Antoinette Choto, Tatenda Mombeyarara, Edson Chakuma, Hopewell Gumbo and Welcome Zimuto. They will be sentenced on Tuesday and lawyers are hoping it will be a non-custodial one.

An alert on the Crisis on Zimbabwe Coalition Facebook page said Harare provincial Magistrate Kudakwashe Jarabini found the six guilty of conspiracy to commit a crime under section 188 of the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act.

The group was arrested in February last year, together with 39 other human rights activists. Police claimed then that the group was plotting to destabilise the government when they watched video footage of the Egypt uprising. Initially when they were arrested, police accused the group of treason but downgraded the charges to inciting public violence.

Our Harare correspondent Simon Muchemwa told us the conviction was roundly condemned by leaders from the civil society organizations who packed the court room. Most said the judgment was ‘a political one’ meant to appease those in ZANU PF.

‘There was general disagreement by many who were in the court room. They were accusing the magistrate of acting like agents of ZANU PF,’ Muchemwa added.

  • Jichidza

    Gwisai zezita rako hama yangu hausiwega kwete.Ramba wakashinga,kusina vanhu vakaita semwi hapana chinganake muZimbabwe yedu.Kana zvichigona tototanga kusanganisa mari yekukubatsirai.
    Mwana wevu

    • Anonymous

      Jichidza isu tinewe mwana wokumusha. Mhandu dzeZANU dzopinda nomwenje mudziva manje.

  • Lance Matange

    Its only when the Courts are in our favor when we claim justice has prevailed. The mement judgement is not in our favor, we automatically align it to a particular political party. This is the scenario here. Riotous uprisings in North Africa and the Mediteranean cannot be said to have been perpetrated by a majority as depicted in an election but by a good number of people who do not constitute a majority influenced by greedy and corrupt media of mass deception and assisted by the Dragon called NATO.

    • Chimboitaitione

      The conviction clearly ignores the political rights provision (S.23A) brought in via Constitutional Amendment Number 19 quite apart from the fact that the charge itself, as framed under section 188 of the Criminal Codification and Reform Act is impermissibly overbroad and therefore unsustainable in a democratic country.

    • Kamikazi

      Its very unfortunate to hear comments like those coming from you people like you Lance. What casued The North African uprising Lance? Is it NATO or it was the people. I dont see where NATO is coming in here. I even read your comment on Kubatana Blog site. http://www.kubatanablogs.net/kubatana/?p=8193. It seems Lance you also scared people exercising their rights. Its just a matter of delaying the inevitable Baba. I also presume you are in SA. If your memory serves you right this case thrown out by the High Court (http://bulawayo24.com/index-id-news-sc-national-byo-2087-article-Gwisai+and+5+out+on+$2,000+bail.html). Freedom of assciation and expression are enshrined in the consitution of Zimbabwe maybe you shud read it may help you.

  • Anonymous

    kurambakwashe Jarabini uyu anobva kupiko, haasimabwidi anongoti chero paravata patova pamusha paro here? These people are all innocent whatsoever, you will see it in the near future. We will chuck out these one sided corrupt magistrates tomorrow. Jarabini go to your home country Malawi today.

  • Hwindi Mukombi

    We need to be very careful with the direction of events in our beloved country … it may not be very long for one to be convicted for wanting to swim when they merely walk past a burst sewer system!!!

  • Txtyt

    Criminalising the innocent. Civil war is not far off.