The lawyer representing the 27 arrested Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) activists, Chris Mhike yesterday told the court that his clients were denied food by the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) officials.
Submitting complaints before Harare magistrate Dennis
Mangosi, Mhike said his clients did not eat anything since 0600am to 0500pm
yesterday after prison authorities blocked their relatives from giving them
food.
Mhike said: “What a shame your worship, as a nation we run
a system that is so insensitive to the needs of its citizens; a system that is
so cruel to accused persons who have not been convicted. I plead for exercise of your judicial power
to intervene on the shocking violations of human rights.”
He said they engaged the officer-in-charge of prisons, one
Chief Superintendent Sibanda at the Harare Magistrates’ Court after relatives
were blocked from giving them food.
“Sibanda then phoned his bosses who told him that they must
not be given food at the magistrates’ court,” Mhike said.
“We did engage Chief Superintendent Sibanda in charge at
Harare Magistrates’ Court cells around 1pm and he said he wanted to consult his
superiors and he was told no food must be given to the accused at Rotten Row
Magistrates Court.”
He said violations of fundamental rights of accused persons
in the country were shocking.
Mhike added that some of the accused persons where of
ill-health and they could not take their medication without taking food.
They must have their food here at court so that it's not
put to waste. There is now risk of some
getting ill because of these degrading conditions.”
He said some of the accused persons were being mixed with
convicted prisoners who were taking drugs while inside the cells.
Lawyer, Kudzai Kadzere who was also brutalised by the
police while representing the opposition activists addressed the court while in
medical plasters saying the court must give an order that the accused persons
be given food at the courts by their relatives.
Kadzere also demanded that they must be allowed to be
visited by their private doctors.
Meanwhile, the State has opposed bail to CCC legislator
Costa Machingauta who also had his docket merged with Amos Chibaya and 25
others.
The accused persons were arrested for holding a meeting at
Machingauta's residence on Saturday, which police claimed disturbed public
peace.
Among the accused is a 17-year-old girl who cannot be tried
in an open court.
Mangosi postponed the matter to today for ruling on the
application to have the proceedings held in camera. Newsday
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