By Costa Nkomo
Lawyers representing Jameson Timba and 78 other Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) activists have filed a complaint against Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) officers, alleging harassment at the Harare Magistrates Court.
Since the arrest of the CCC members in June 2024, lawyers and journalists have reported being subjected to intimidation and physical interference by police officers while entering, exiting, and conducting press briefings at the court.
Attorneys Webster Jiti, Jeremiah Bhamu, and Marufu Mandevere from the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) have specifically cited instances of being pushed and shoved by anti-riot police.
“This has been happening for some time now,” Bhamu told the court, expressing concern about the police’s behaviour.
Jiti added, “As lawyers, we have been harassed by the police, and we no longer feel comfortable coming to court to do our work. We want the court to address this issue because we are not criminals to be treated like that.”
Magistrate Collet Ncube is expected to rule on the complaint on Wednesday, addressing the lack of professionalism exhibited by the police.
Journalists have also faced similar difficulties, being prevented from taking pictures and videos of prisoners disembarking from prison trucks by both police and prison guards.
The media’s ability to cover court proceedings has been hindered under the guise of security concerns.
The state’s attempts to restrict media access are seen as a way to prevent visual documentation of political prisoners, such as Timba and others.
One woman among the activists has a one-year-old baby and has been sleeping in Chikurubi Maximum Prison for the past 93 days.
Meanwhile, Magistrate Ncube is also set to deliver a ruling on the bail application of Timba and 65 other activists tomorrow morning.
The group filed a fresh bail application based on “changed circumstances,” arguing that the state’s previous concerns about witness intimidation are now moot as witnesses have already testified.
The activists were initially arrested while commemorating the Day of the African Child at Timba’s residence and were charged with disorderly conduct.
That charge was later quashed by the court.
