High Court postpones CCC activists bail ruling, orders release of 17-year-old
HARARE – The High Court has reserved its judgment on the bail appeal by 76 Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) activists and the party’s faction interim leader, Jameson Timba.
The accused have been detained for over a month since their arrest on June 16 for attending an unauthorized meeting and disorderly conduct. Justice Munamato Mutevedzi ordered the immediate release of a 17-year-old boy among the detained.
Zimbabwe’s legal system has specific protections for minors, recognizing their vulnerability and the potential negative impacts of incarceration on their development. Courts often prefer alternative measures for minors, such as house arrest, community service, or supervised release, instead of detention in remand prison.
Briefing the media outside court on Tuesday, Agency Gumbo, a member of the legal team representing Timba and the other CCC activists, said the court has reserved its judgment and will deliver a determination on the appeal on Thursday.
“The court has indicated that the judgment will be handed out virtually, so that means people will not necessarily be coming to court physically,” he said, adding:
“Bail is a constitutional right, and even in the first place, we assert that the CCC members should not have been arrested. People have a right to associate, people have a right to organize.”
The bail appeal had previously been delayed when the State requested more time to respond to the application, leading to a postponement with consent from both parties.
Timba and his fellow activists were taken into custody on June 16. One minor had already been released, and Timba’s son, Shaun, was granted US$100 bail last week after it was proven he was caught in the dragnet arrest while delivering a Father’s Day gift.
“The continued detention is unfortunate, and we hope that all will be released soon,” Gumbo commented, reiterating the opposition’s stance that the state is using detention as a tactic of political suppression.
