In May 2019, seven Zimbabwean human rights defenders went to the Maldives to attend a training on civil engagement with a focus on effective advocacy and communication strategies, organised by the Centre for Applied Nonviolent Action and Strategies (CANVAS). Upon return to Harare, they were arrested at the Robert Mugabe International Airport. George Makoni, Tatenda Mombeyarara, Gamuchirai Mukura and Frank Nyasha Mpahlo were arrested on 20 May 2019. Farirai Gumbonzvanda was arrested the next day, and Stabile Dewa and Rita Nyampinga were arrested on 27 May 2019. All seven HRDs were charged with subverting constitutional government under Article 22(2)(a)(iii) of the Criminal Law Act, and transferred to the Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison.
On 8 January 2020, human rights defenders Rita Nyampinga, Stabile Dewa, George Makoni, Tatenda Mombeyarara, Gamuchirai Mukura, Farirai Gumbonzvanda, and Frank Nyasha Mpahlo appeared before the High Court in Harare. The Court rejected the request made by the defence to lift the bail conditions imposed on the human rights defenders. The next hearing of the case is scheduled for 31 January 2020.
“Here in Zimbabwe, we are angry, not because there is no food; we are angry because there are some people who are eating on our behalf.”
- George Makoni
“I thought it was a joke, cause it didn’t really make sense; what we were doing and the allegations were actually opposite, but somewhere I knew they were going to pursue the case, because I had seen the cases of other fellow colleagues who had gone through the same process.”
-Stabile Dewa
“The way they’ve highlighted our case, it’s like we are on a black list. Being blacklisted, it means you no longer have your personal freedom.”
- Rita Nyampinga
“We are not terrorists; we are very patriotic Zimbabweans.”
-Stabile Dewa
“I think they want to use us as guinea pigs so that whoever wants to participate in any human rights activity won’t be able to do anything, because they would have set an example through the seven of us.”
- Rita Nyampinga
