On Friday, the Harare Circuit Court declared opposition leader Jameson Timba and 34 others guilty of unlawful assembly, following their detention for over five months.
Timba, who serves as the interim leader of the Citizens’ Coalition for Change (CCC), was apprehended on June 16 along with nearly 80 individuals in a move that has faced criticism as part of a wider crackdown on political dissent.
These arrests occurred shortly before a July summit of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in Harare.
In a prior ruling in September, Timba and around 65 members of the initial group were acquitted of charges related to disorderly conduct.
However, Magistrate Collet Ncube found Timba and the 34 others guilty regarding a charge of participating in an unauthorized gathering with the intent to provoke public violence.
“This court believes that this gathering had the potential to disrupt public peace,” Ncube remarked, highlighting that law enforcement was summoned to manage the situation.
Timba and the co-defendants are now awaiting their sentencing on Monday. The judge noted that those acquitted were not present inside the house but rather in its vicinity, and they are anticipated to be released soon.
-News24
