By Mary Taruvinga
Human rights activists Robson Chere, Namatai Kwekweza and Samuel Gwenzi, who were arrested after being dragged off a plane last year, are finally free following their acquittal by a Harare magistrate.
The three walked out of court free after being on trial for over a year, facing disorderly conduct charges.
They were jointly tried together with others who were arrested on the same charge, who included Vusumuzi Moyo, Phillies Pikitayi, Dephine Gutsa, Simbarashe Blackson, Emmanuel Sitima and Last Chinody, who were also acquitted.
Kwekweza (26), Chere (41) and Gwenzi (40) were minutes from taking off on a Fastjet flight to Victoria Falls when they were ordered off a plane at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport.
Police accused them of having taken part in an illegal protest outside the Harare Magistrates Court a month earlier, on June 27, in solidarity with over 70 Citizens Coalition for Change activists who were appearing in court.
Kwekweza’s lawyers successfully argued that she was not in the country on June 27 and accused authorities of arresting the activists as part of an operation driven by paranoia to thwart potential protests during the SADC summit, which Zimbabwe hosted on August 17.
“Since 25 July 2024, we have been in and out of courts answering to trumped-up charges which were simply meant to break and discourage us from demanding a just and democratic Zimbabwe. We are finally free after a whole year of persecution. It only strengthened our resolve,” Sitima said after the acquittal.
