Missing in action but the struggle continues

The Youth Real Change team will this weekend continue walking the last half mile in the absence of incarcerated leader Solomon Madzore.

The team will break in to three groups on the 10th of May with the 1^st group heading southwards to address a rally at Mupandawana growth point in Gutu Central while the other one will head to Mashonaland  where they will address a last half mile youth rally in Macheke .

The final team is expected to grace a soccer tournament Soccer Tourney which will take place at Trojan mine grounds in Mashonaland Central in the bid to increase the party visibility at grassroots level.

On the 11^th of May the Assembly leadership will support a district rally to be held at Strata Haven shops where thousands are expected to throng the centre to support the real change act.

Meanwhile the police has became an obstacle to the offensive drive after they refused to clear Youth Real Change rally which was intended for Harare West’s Tom Grounds on the 12^th of May therefore spoiling the spicing up of the weekend. The police refused clearance saying they will be a ZANU PF event during the same dayin the area.

The police force are on record for the wrong reasons they have decided to make themselves a ZANUPF repressive machinery and looks like they are indirectly declaring themselves an enemy of the Assembly starting from the arrest the Assembly President and other youths activists under trumped up charges.

Madzore was arrested on 2 May on false allegations of  insulting the president during a pre-election rally in Mbire, Mashonaland Central province.Prosecutors have used a contentious appeal law to block a court ordering his release on $100 bail.

 The Assembly views Madzore's arrest as a sign of desperation by Zanu-PF,  it is just the last kicks of a dying horse". 

 For and on behalf of the young people of Zimbabwe

MDC Youth Assembly Information Department

Together to the end,building a youth with a difference.

State abuses section 121 for the benefit of ZANU PF

Harare, 07 May 2013. The Attorney General’s office have found a lovely toy in Section 121 of the Criminal procedure and Evidence Act. ZANU PF oriented prosecutors have been abusing this draconian act to keep behind bars those perceived as ZANU PF enemies.

A Bindura prosecutor Munyaradzi Mataranyika yesterday unexpectedly and unnecessarily invoked section 121 to block a US$100 bail that was granted by magistrate Elisha Singano.

This unjust piece of legislation has seen unprofessional prosecutors playing ball to Zanu PF’s demands. The section has been abused to keep mostly MDC members and civic society activists in jail when they have been granted bail.

The section empowers a prosecutor to override a magistrate’s judgement on bail. It has been heavily abused by prosecutors only in cases that are politically motivated. The prosecutors at times come to the courts unprepared for the delivery of justice but to seek means of punishing those who are perceived as enemies of ZANU PF.

Prosecutors  are developing an evil tendency of invoking section 121 every time a known MDC leader or activist is granted bail. The section therefore renders the judges and magistrates’ rulings academic as the accused effectively remain behind bars.

The section removes the right of the accused person to freedom. The State is now persecuting through prosecution. Even when an individual is clearly not guilty and with a clear alibi as in the case of leader Solomon Madzore, the State can invoke the section to deny one’s freedom.

Section 121(3) which reads:  A decision by a judge or magistrate to admit a person to bail shall be suspended if, immediately after the decision, the judge or magistrate is notified that the Attorney-General or his representative wishes to appeal against the decision, and the decision shall thereupon be suspended and the person shall remain in custody until—

 (a) if the Attorney-General or his representative does not appeal in terms  of subsection (1)—

 (i) he notifies the judge or magistrate that he has decided not to pursue the appeal; or

 (ii) the expiry of seven days; whichever is the sooner; or

 (b) if the Attorney-General or his representative appeals in terms of subsection (1), the appeal is determined

The section has clearly removed the onus to determine the freedom of the accused person from the presiding magistrate based on the submission of the prosecution and defence counsel. What a Bindura prosecutor Munyaradzi Matarenyika did yesterday to leader Solomon Madzore was unnecessary and unthinkable under a professional judicial system. This will be a thing of the past in a new dispensation under the leadership of President Morgan Tsvangirai.

For and on behalf of the young people of Zimbabwe

MDC Youth Assembly Information Department

Together to end,building a youth with a difference.

Commander Solomon Madzore addressing youths in Harare last week

Leader Madzore to spend a week more in custody

MDC Youth Assembly President Solomon Madzore will spend another week in remand prison after the state invoked section 121 of the draconian criminal procedure and reform Act.

 

A Bindura magistrate had granted leader Madzore $100 bail after Defense lawyer Charles Kwaramba of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights had successfully applied for bail.

 Kwaramba who was assisted by Jeremiah Mutongi Bhamu told the court that the State had misled the Jury in its submissions when it deliberately lied that Madzore had no family since Madzore had a pregnant wife present in court and two children.

 

Kwaramba told the court that it is shocking that the records are present at the Attorney General’s office and the High Court that Madzore is married and the prosecutor did not bother to check.

 

The Attorney also told the court that it is shocking that the State said Madzore did not have any valuable assets when he in fact owns three vehicles, a Toyota vitz, Mercedes compressor and an Isuzu KB Twin cab which was parked just outside the court.

 

Addressing party members outside the court Assembly Secretary General Promise Mkwananzi said we are disappointed by the behavior of the Prosecutors who have reduced themselves into political repressive apparatus instead of acting professionally.

 

Youth Assembly Deputy President Costa Machingauta had to be whisked away from the police after they had sort to arrest him for reasons better known to them.  

 

Together to the end,building a youth with a difference.

Leader Madzore to spend a week in custody

MDC Youth Assembly President Solomon Madzore will spend another week in remand prison after the state invoked section 121 of the draconian criminal procedure and reform Act.

 

A Bindura magistrate had granted leader Madzore $100 bail after Defense lawyer Charles Kwaramba of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights had successfully applied for bail.

 Kwaramba who was assisted by Jeremiah Mutongi Bhamu told the court that the State had misled the Jury in its submissions when it deliberately lied that Madzore had no family since Madzore had a pregnant wife present in court and two children.

 

Kwaramba told the court that it is shocking that the records are present at the Attorney General’s office and the High Court that Madzore is married and the prosecutor did not bother to check.

 

The Attorney also told the court that it is shocking that the State said Madzore did not have any valuable assets when he in fact owns three vehicles, a Toyota vitz, Mercedes compressor and an Isuzu KB Twin cab which was parked just outside the court.

 

Addressing party members outside the court Assembly Secretary General Promise Mkwananzi said we are disappointed by the behavior of the Prosecutors who have reduced themselves into political repressive apparatus instead of acting professionally.

 

Youth Assembly Deputy President Costa Machingauta had to be whisked away from the police after they had sort to arrest him for reasons better known to them.  

 

Together to the end,building a youth with a difference.

Stop wasting resources in the name of voter registration

The MDC youth assembly condemns the current joke being mistaken for a mobile voter registration blitz. The inspection that has been done by the party have revealed some shocking anomalies therefore the Assembly view the whole process as a non event characterized by lack of seriousness and typical resource wasting.

There are a number of issues we feel have to be corrected for us to be content with the results of the process.

·         We demand enough publicity on the schedule of the roll out, so far it is not clear to the electorate where the mobile voter registration is taking place and the dates are also very much obscured.

·         We demand that ZEC must establish mobile voter registration centres in wards and constituencies where there are no permanent voter registration centres

·         We demand that ZEC establishes voter registration centres at all tertiary institutions considering the fact that all state institutions are open and students are stationed at the campus for the whole duration of the mobile registration it is imperative that ZEC ensure that the students access the facility unconditionally.

·         We demand a professional staff in the mobile voter registration process.

Together to the end,building a youth with a difference.

Leader Solomon Madzore in court today

Youth Assembly President Solomon Madzore will appear in court today, facing charges for allegedly insulting Mugabe.

Police in Bindura allege that Madzore refered to Mugabe as a limping donkey who makes it difficult for Dr Morgan Richard Tsvangirai to run the GNU.

When visited at Bindura police station Leader Madzore said the police are just playing a political role and it is a desperate attempt to stop him from campaigning for Dr Tsvangirai.

Madzore said he will be out soon and will continue with his work despite the persecutions, saying every serious activist should endure that because Mugabe will not give anything on a silver platter.

On Sunday his attorney Charles Kwaramba said ,“We expect them to detain him for as long as it is within the stipulated 48hours. Therefore my client will be due in court on Monday.”

Leader Madzore has been in custody since Thursday and his deputy Machingauta, addressed a rally in Dzivarasekwa yesterday which Madzore was supposed to address.

Madzore has been a victim of illegal arrests and detentions which has earned him the nickname “Mandela”.  

Together to the end,building a youth with a difference.

Partisan Police Detain Leader Madzore

Youth Assembly President Ldr Solomon Madzore is being detained at Bindura Police Station for allegedly insulting Mugabe at a rally at Mushumbe in Mbire on Saturday.
 
 Ldr Madzore was today charged with contravening section 33 of the code which criminalises everything said about the president which might cause ridicule, contempt and hostility against him.
 
He is alleged to have said "Mugabe idhongi rinokamhina rinotadzisa Save kurunner GNU." simply translated it means Mugabe is a limping donkey that makes Tsvangirai fail to run in the GNU.
 
The police are saying he went on to say that ZANU PF is a party of witches, murderers, prostitutes and thieves.
 
Charles Kwaramba the defense counsel said that the investigating officer detective Constable Ncube is willing to submit Madzore to the courts tomorrow but the pressure coming from above precisely the Officer commanding Law and Order section Superintended Muchada seems to subdue the investigating officer’s discretion.  
 
Therefore the chances of him appearing in court on Saturday become faint which technically points out to Monday as the initial remand hearing day the lawyer said.
 
Meanwhile two MDC activists Robert Nkiwane and Jefrey Shabani have been arrested on the same charges. The two are detained at Bhora police where they will be transferred to Murehwa police station.
 
The police have failed to conduct themselves in a professional manner as a government institution. They are arresting members of the MDC at ZANUPF’s instruction and Madzore has been one of the main victims of the behavior.
 
He was arrested and stayed for 7 months in custody for participating in Democratic Resistance Campaign together with his brother Paul, Luke Tamborinyoka, Ian Makone and several other individuals. The state later dropped the charges.
 
He was later arrested in a case popularly referred to as Glenview 29 in which he stands co-accused of killing a cop one Inspector Mutedza who was murdered at a pub in Glenview. Solomon Madzore stayed in prison for more than 400 days and is currently out on bail.

The state has failed to prove a case on the 29 and specifically for Solomon Madzore the
Presiding Jury Justice Chinembiri Bhunu said ‘Since his Alibi was checked and confirmed by police, I wonder why he was kept in custody beyond initial remand, when there is nothing triable on his part”.
 
The Youth Assembly condemns the persecution of its leadership and members of the MDC. The police should be professional and impartial in carrying out their duties.
 
Together to the end,building a youth with a difference.