The nine activists were arrested in March 2021 after they
staged a protest at Bulawayo Central Police Station, demanding the release of
MRP president Mqondisi Moyo following a raid at his home.
The six released members include two females – Chairperson
of the MRP’s Women’s National League – Sibongile Banda and Busi Moyo, who were
released from Mlondozi prison.
The other four members are MRP’s Council of Elders
representative – Tinos Nkomo, Nkosinathi Ncube, Ackim Ndebele, Liveson Ncube
who were released from Harare Central Prison.
However, three party members will remain in jail for
another three months as they had other charges.
The trio includes MRP Youth Chairperson, Mongameli
Mlotshwa, Maxwell Nkosi and Welcome Moyo.
In an interview with CITE, an MRP official, Mbonisi Gumbo
confirmed that their party members were finally out, having served time for
‘exercising their rights.’
“We are so excited as a party, and we are happy that they
came out alive considering the deplorable conditions of Zimbabwean prisons,” he
said, adding that the country’s prisons were struggling to meet the basic needs
of prisoners.
Another MRP member Chilumbo Mudenda praised their comrades
saying they had shown “great” resilience in the face of adversity and were
courageous.
“The prison conditions are quite severe and our friends put
up with those prison challenges because they believed in a cause. This is why
honour them and when the time is right they will tell their stories of
survival,” he said.
Mudenda said party official Thembisani Mfulongashi Mpofu
had travelled to Harare to welcome the other four members.
“The next step is to check their health. We will ask the
health department to do their research and make sure our members are ok since
they stayed in the head of the enemy. We will take them for medical checkup to
make sure they were not tampered with,” said the MRP co-chairperson.
“Otherwise for now this is what we have to say because this
is a recent development.” CITE
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