BY DESMOND CHINGARANDE THE trial of novelist Tsitsi Dangarembgwa and Julie Gabriel Barnes who stand accused of participating in an illegal demonstration in 2020 resumed yesterday.
Dangarembgwa and Barnes were arrested after staging a protest in Borrowdale over human rights violations and widespread poverty in the country.
Assistant police inspector Donald Chademana told the court yesterday that the duo did not show any signs of promoting violence, saying they were also not carrying materials promoting bigotry.
Chademana made the statement under cross examination by the duo’s lawyer Chris Mhike who had asked him if he saw Dangarembgwa and Barnes carrying materials promoting violence.
Chademana said they arrested the duo for demonstrating without seeking authority from the police.
“We were at work looking forward to the demonstration when we met the accused person after a phone call by the officer in charge of Borrowdale Police Station.
“We went there to take the police officer from Borrowdale to show us the scene of the protest. Upon arrival at the scene we met the two accused persons,” he said.
He said they were carrying placards written ‘free Hopewell Chin’ono‘ and reform state institutions.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
Mhike then asked him if asking for reforms would undermine the government, and he said yes.
Magistrate Barbara Mateko postponed their trial to Monday.
