POLITICAL PERSECUTION PERSISTS: JOANA MAMOMBE FACES TRIAL AS CO-DEFENDANTS ACQUITTED

In a conspicuous display of selective justice, Joana Mamombe, a prominent member of the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) and Harare West MP, is set to face trial under charges identical to those her recently acquitted co-defendants were facing. This situation raises significant concerns about the use of the judicial system by the ruling Zanu PF to suppress dissent.

On May 26, 2020, amid the strict COVID-19 lockdown measures, authorities arrested Mamombe along with her colleagues Cecilia Chimbiri and Netsai Marova. The trio was charged with inciting public violence and breaching peace by organizing an anti-government protest against hunger, an issue exacerbated by the national lockdown. Interestingly, while Chimbiri and Marova were acquitted of these charges just yesterday, Mamombe is slated to continue her battle in court with her trial beginning on July 9.

This case, dragging on for over four years, illustrates a troubling pattern of “persecution by prosecution.” Mamombe’s legal representative, Alec Muchadehama, criticized the decision to continue prosecuting her, especially given the acquittal of her co-accused under similar circumstances. He pointedly asked, “Who was she gathering with for demonstration then?” This highlights the absurdity of the charges retained against her.

Mamombe’s legal troubles are part of a broader narrative of targeted harassment. Elected at the age of 25 in 2018, her tenure has been marred by severe legal and personal challenges. In March 2019, she faced treason charges and endured 68 days in pre-trial detention. In 2020, following reports of her abduction and torture, she was accused of publishing falsehoods about her ordeal – a charge from which she was only cleared in April 2023 after a lengthy and resource-draining trial.

The targeting of Mamombe has had severe personal repercussions. In September of the previous year, despite her need for mental health care, a judge controversially ordered her transfer from a hospital to the notorious Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison. Despite these challenges, she has continued her legislative work, notably serving as the parliamentary chair of the Environment Committee, where she has been instrumental in pushing for new environmental laws and initiatives.

However, Mamombe’s political future now hangs in the balance. She recently declined a reappointment as committee chair under new leadership within the CCC, which she and others claim was orchestrated by a collusion of Zimbabwe’s executive, judiciary, parliament, and the Central Intelligence Organisation. This refusal reflects deepening internal divisions within the opposition as well as broader political manipulation.

The persistence of these legal battles against Mamombe not only underscores the challenges faced by opposition figures in Zimbabwe but also points to a broader issue of using state machinery to silence dissent. This selective application of the law to settle political scores is a significant detriment to the democratic fabric of the nation, potentially alienating the electorate and international observers alike.

As Mamombe prepares for her upcoming trial, the international community and local observers will be closely watching. The outcome will likely have profound implications not only for her personal freedom but also for the state of political opposition and the rule of law in Zimbabwe.