Chibebe removed from remand in cop attack case

Chibebe removed from remand in cop attack case

• Wage indexation: a panacea for Zimbabwe's wage crisis

• Chinotimba's firm in court over unpaid wages

• Zimbabwe unions threaten strikes

• Zimbabwe sets new controls on charities

• ZCTU 'stay-away' flops

• Mduduzi Mathuthu: Beyond job boycotts

By Lebo Nkatazo

A ZIMBABWEAN court on Friday removed from remand the leader of the country’s main trade union who was accused of assaulting a police officer at a roadblock last year.

Wellington Chibebe, the secretary general of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) was arrested in August last year during the change-over to a new currency on allegations of resisting arrest and assaulting a police officer.

He subsequently appeared in court and was charged under section 176 of the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act.

The court also released him on $2 000 bail on September 4.

In court, his lawyer Alec Muchadehama denied that his client had attacked the policer offcer.

He said: “I wish to have this placed on record. His arrest and subsequent detention was unlawful. He was stopped at a roadblock where police were illegally searching for bearer cheques. He advised them that he had been searched before by other police officers along the way.

"He never resisted the police, neither did he intend to escape. The collar of his gold shirt was torn as the policeman, sergeant Sylvester Makonyonga assaulted him."

Chibebe also filed a constitutional appeal with the Supreme Court challenging the constitutionality of the law under which he had been charged, on the grounds that it seeks to oust the Roman Dutch Law which guides the country's legal system.

In a statement Friday the ZCTU information department said: “The State will proceed by way of summons pending a Supreme Court hearing. Cde Chibebe is challenging some sections of the Criminal Law and Codification and Reform Act Chapter 9.23 under which he was being charged and the matter is still to be heard at the Supreme Court.”

Last year , Chibebe and other trade union leaders were hospitalised after being assaulted while in police custody following their arrest on September 13, 2006.

The unionists were arrested ahead of a planned nationwide demonstrations to protest against the worsening economic crisis.

In an interview Friday, Muchadehama confirmed the court outcome.

JOIN THE DEBATE ON THIS ARTICLE ON THE NEWZIMBABWE.COM FORUMS
newsdesk@newzimbabwe.com