Bulawayo teen protestors set free

Juveniles, six school children including a primary school pupil and Bulawayo residents were Monday set free after the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) after it withdrew public violence charges against them.

NPA cited lack of evidence in a case in which they were accused of committing public violence during the anti-government protests held in July.

The residents were being represented by Lison Ncube, Jonathan Tsvangirai and Lizwe Jamela of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR).

In withdrawing charges before plea against the 33 residents, Jeremiah Mutsindikwa of the NPA indicated before Bulawayo Magistrate Charity Maphosa that the State was dropping the case because of lack of sufficient evidence to pursue prosecution.

The 33 residents were arrested in early July and charged with committing public violence in contravention of Section 36 (1) (a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Chapter 9:23 or alternatively Section 131 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Chapter 9:23 for unlawful entry into premises.

The State claimed that the 33 residents participated in an anti-government protest held on Wednesday 6th of July and famously dubbed #ShutdownZim2016, where they unlawfully disturbed the peace, security, or order of the public by blocking Luveve Road with stones and burning tyres and threw stones at police officers and police vehicles before looting Mzilikazi Supermarket.

The 33 Bulawayo residents become the latest accused persons to be set free after the NPA recently withdrew charges against 86 other residents who faced the same charges of committing public violence during the nationwide anti-government protests.