By Staff Reporter

HARARE: Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) leader Obert Masaraure was Wednesday granted $60,000 bail by the High Court.

The development followed a successful appeal filed by defence attorney Douglas Coltart.

Masaraure, who is also spokesperson for Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, had been arrested and charged with murder over the 2016 death of a colleague.

High Court judge, Justice Munamato Mutevedzi overruled magistrate Yeukai Dzuda’s finding that Masaraure was a flight risk if granted conditional freedom.

“The judge said this was a 2016 matter,” said Coltart.

“The judge said the accused has always been aware of this case but did not leave the country proving that he is not a flight risk.”

The judge also ruled that bail is a Constitutional right which should be granted, adding that it could only be denied where there are compelling reasons.

“The judge found there were no compelling reasons,” added the lawyer.

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Masaraure had been refused bail by the magistrate’s courts after being arrested over the 2016 death of a colleague, Roy Issa.

He  is accused of pushing  Issa to death from the seventh floor of a local hotel in 2016.

Masaraure had appealed at the upper court arguing that the case against him was fabricated and politically motivated.

He also complained that an inquest into Issa’s death ruled out foul play but that the fact had been ignored by the arresting authorities.

Coltart told the court that the constant change in the allegations proves that there is no proper reason to place his client on remand.

He further said the allegations do not highlight the role his client played in the death of the now deceased.