The bail hearing for the nine Mthwakazi Republic Party (MRP) members failed to proceed in Bulawayo Tuesday after the state failed to produce medical examination reports of the accused.
The nine were arrested for public violence after they stormed Bulawayo Central Police Station last week protesting over the alleged harassment of their party leader Mqondisi Moyo by state security agents.
It is alleged, uniformed police, military and officers in civilian clothes raided Moyo’s house during the night intending to arrest him.
The nine include two women, MRP National League Chairperson, Sibongile Banda and Busi Moyo.
Other members are Council of Elders representative Tinos Nkomo, MRP Youth Chairperson, Mongameli Mlotshwa, Livson Ncube, Maxwell Nkosi, Welcome Moyo, Nkosilathi Ncube and Ackim Ndebele.
Last week Thursday, the accused lawyers, Nqobani Sithole and Prince Butshe Dube of Abammeli applied to have their clients examined by a doctor following claims that some of them were severely assaulted while in police custody.
One of the suspects, Ndebele, even appeared in court without a shirt where it was revealed that it was torn and bloodied after the alleged beating.
Bulawayo magistrate, Tawengwa Sengester, granted the defence’s application and the state was expected to produce the examination results during the accused’s initial bail application hearing.
In an interview, Dube said they expected to have the medical reports this Tuesday.
“Unfortunately, our clients or rather most of them had not been examined by any doctor and therefore, we had to make another application that the matter is rolled over to tomorrow. (Wednesday) We are hoping that by then all our clients would have been examined,” said the lawyer.
Dube said during the bail hearing, the magistrate even inquired from the state why the accused had not been examined.
“The state did not give any real reason. We want the accused to be examined. It is in the interest of justice that the accused should be examined so that we can ascertain the extent of the injuries, if at all there are any injuries,” he said.
The bail hearing has since been postponed to Wednesday.
