Chief Timothy Munorowazve Muusha of Chimanimani has reversed his earlier controversial judgement where he had fined two Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) activists three goats for disobeying a local village head’s directive to vote for the ruling Zanu PF party in the August 23 national elections.
This development comes after two brothers Solomon and Knowledge Tambwera who live in Manzou in Chimanimani were summoned to Chief Muusha’s traditional court for allegedly disobeying the village head, Charles Manzou, who had ordered all villagers in that area to vote for Zanu PF.
The two brothers challenged the village head’s order saying it violated their political rights but afterwards were threatened by some Zanu PF members forcing them to spend nearly three days sleeping in the bush.
In a turn of events, Chief Muusha reversed his initial ruling and said the two brothers were not to pay anything during a traditional court session held on Saturday.
The chief also withdrew charges against another CCC activist Isaah Mapunga who had been accused of campaigning for the opposition party.
Mapunga of Nyamusundu village had appeared before the chief in mid-September but his case failed to proceed because the complainant, a Zanu PF councillor Lovemore Utseya did not attend the court session.
Read: CCC activist summoned to traditional court for campaigning – #Asakhe – CITE
In an interview, the brothers stated that Chief Muusha’s new decision was made following the intervention of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) and media coverage of their predicament.
“ZLHR representatives from Chipinge were handling the matter. We also take note of the latest ruling but we did not commit any crime because we were just carrying out our constitutional rights yet we were victimised for supporting CCC,” said Solomon Tambwera.
“We knew justice would be served and that the chief was not supposed to have summoned us to his court. When we went to his court, we were not shocked or surprised when the chief told us we had no case.”
Tambwera said Chief Muusha did not explain why he was withdrawing the charges but just instructed his secretaries not to admit or entertain any political related cases in future.
“The chief said the case is dismissed and there is no case but in future we must not provoke each other,” he said.
The two brothers expressed gratitude to the media and ZLHR for drawing attention to the issue.
“People in the rural areas are not aware of their rights, this is why they are taken advantage of. I am happy we spoke out the injustice and in the end justice has been served,” Tambwera summed.
