By Kumbirai Mufunda
Zimbabwean authorities have summoned pro-democracy campaigner Lynette Mudehwe to stand trial on Monday 4 November 2019 on charges of criminal nuisance for allegedly participating in an anti-government demonstration held four years ago to protest against former Vice-President Phelekezela Mphoko’s lengthy stay in a hotel.
Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) officers recently served Mudehwe, the leader of the Zimbabwe Activists Association with summons to appear at Harare Magistrates Court and answer to charges of criminal nuisance as defined in section 46 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.
The ZRP officers claimed that Mudehwe, who is represented by Tinomuda Shoko of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, entered Rainbow Towers on 30 November 2015, during proceedings of the International Conference on AIDS and STI’s in Africa (ICASA), with intent to cause annoyance or disturbance of public peace or realising that there was real risk or possibility that her conduct would cause annoyance or disturb peace to the public.
While at the venue of the ICASA conference, the police alleged that Mudehwe started shouting and singing as she demonstrated against Mphoko’s continued stay in a luxury hotel at taxpayers’ expense since his appointment as Vice-President in December 2014 and thereby disrupting the smooth flow of the conference.