Tsvangirai Ally Released After Court Order

Nkosana Dlamini

26 June 2011

Jameson Timba, cabinet minister in Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s co-governing Movement for Democratic Change, was freed from police custody on Sunday afternoon.

This is after Zimbabwe’s High Court ordered his “immediate” release from police custody, where he had spent two nights on charges of calling State President Robert Mugabe a liar.

Presiding judge Joseph Musakwa also pronounced his arrest and detention as a violation of his basic rights after police formally informed his about his offence minutes after he appeared in court.

“There is no justifiable ground for his continued release. It is ordered that the first applicant (Timba) be released immediately,” said Justice Musakwa.

Timba, Minister of State in The Prime Minister’s office, looked pale as he appeared in court dressed all in black.

The chain smoking minister, a close ally to Zimbabwe’s Premier, was arrested late noon last Friday for “undermining the authority of State President Robert Mugabe”.

This is after he had allegedly told a South African newspaper that Mugabe had misinformed the nation by claiming regional leaders had stifled his coalition partners’ attempts to force through a raft changes to the country’s political and electoral system to plug off loopholes that had been exploited to the advantage of the incumbent.

He denies the charges, which his party describe as “pure harrassment”.

During his detention, police transferred him to three different stations in what his lawyers alleged to an attempt to deny them access to him.

Meanwhile, drama followed his exit from the court building on Sunday after his release was ordered.

Detectives from Zimbabwe’s dreaded Law and Order barred his release insisting they take him back to Harare Central police to engage in the “proper release procedure”.

Lawyers and the police argued for over 25 minutes on the interpretation of the word ‘immediate’.

“The judge ordered his immediate release, if you take him back with you, this would be a violation of the order,” argued defence attorney Thabani Mpofu as detectives barred the minister from entering his waiting Mercedes Benz.

“This is a person facing criminal charges. He cannot just be released like a bird from a cage,” one of the detectives argued back.

Detectives called for “reinforcements” from Harare central police after they felt overwhelmed by the presence of over a dozen activists from Tsvangirai’s party who had attended the Sunday afternoon urgent court hearing in solidarity with one of the party’s most senior officials.

Timba was later taken to the police station after half a dozen uniformed police officers were dispatched to the court building to escort on a police Defender truck.

He was eventually set free an hour later after a statement was taken from him while at the police station.

State Attorney Christopher Mutangadura said they were preparing summons for the commencement of Timba’s trial.

“There is indeed a case that he should answer,” said Mutangadura, “We are going to advise him on his trial.”

Tsvangirai and his party have accused the country’s partisan security forces of waging a campaign of terror against them to cow voters into supporting for Mugabe whose popularity is wanning by the day.

Tsvangirai is agitating for the replacement of the top brass from the army, police and the country’s secret service.

AllAfrica – All the Time