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Zimbabwe: Update on the trial of the 'Valentine 63'
Update on the trial of the 'Valentine 63'
Having been adjourned from 16 May, the trial of the 63
WOZA women arrested on Valentine's Day was due to
resume this afternoon. Instead, the accused, defence
lawyers and well-wishers waited in vain for both the
Magistrate and Prosecutor to appear.
Eventually, the Officer of the Court appeared to
announce that the trial has been postponed to 12 June.
Allegedly the Prosecutor is at a workshop and
therefore was not available. None of the accused
formally appeared before the Magistrate to be remanded
to this date however.
WOZA is therefore obliged to continue its wait to hear
if the magistrate will allow the referral to the
Supreme Court. To reiterate, the defence's argument is
that the law under which the women were charged
contravenes the Declaration of Rights; in particular
the right to freedom of expression, the right to
freedom of assembly and association and the right to
be free from inhuman treatment. Such a matter can only
be determined by the Supreme Court, hence the request
for a referral to that court.
Despite the State's argument that this would be a
waste of the Supreme Court's time, WOZA do not agree
and feel that any legislation which prevents people
from exercising their freedom of expression and
assembly violates those rights enshrined in our
Constitution. The issue of the constitutionality of
the relevant sections of the Miscellaneous Offences
Act needs to be decided by the Supreme Court before
any meaningful trial can take place.
