HARARE – The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has asked a court to revoke Joana Mamombe’s bail after the Harare West MP allegedly failed to meet conditions of her release by the High Court.
Mamombe is facing several criminal charges including incitement to commit violence; breaching Covid-19 regulations by holding a public gathering; participating in an illegal demonstration and publishing falsehoods through allegedly faking her abduction.
She denies the charges.
As part of her bail conditions, the High Court ordered her to present herself at the Harare Central Police Station once every month. She had consistently done this every last Friday of the month.
The 28-year-old told the Harare Magistrates Court on Tuesday that she arrived in Harare from her rural home late last Friday and was prevented from driving to the police station by a Covid-19 dusk to dawn curfew. She had gone to her rural home to pick up her sister, who was returning to school.
She rushed to the Harare Central Police Station the next morning only to be told that she had already broken the terms of her release. Mamombe was allowed to sign the forms but her signature was later cancelled and the state saw an opportunity to revoke her bail.
Prosecutor Michael Reza asked magistrate Stanford Mambanje to commit Mamombe to prison to await her trial behind bars.
Reza tried to tender an affidavit by Alison Mirimbo, the officer who was on duty at the police station on Saturday, in which he said Mamombe did not report as required under her bail conditions.
Mamombe’s lawyers objected, arguing that Mirimbo’s document was not an affidavit but correspondence between the police.
Magistrate Mambanje refused to accept the affidavit because it was not commissioned.
Jeremiah Bamu, representing Mamombe, said the court order directed the MP to report once every month and “she did just that on the 28th.”
He said this was a confirmation that she was within the jurisdiction of the courts.
The matter was postponed to September 3 for continuation of the arguments.
