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Court Reporter

THE trial of CCC vice presidents, Tendai Biti and Lynette Karenyi, who are accused of violating Covid-19 regulations during the lockdown period after staging an illegal demonstration at their former party headquarters in Harare in June 2020, was yesterday deferred to early December.

Harare regional magistrate Mr Stanford Mambanje set the matter for December 2 pending a High Court determination on their application for review of their case.

Biti and Karenyi are jointly appearing with other members of the opposition party, David Chimhini, Vimbai Tome, Lovemore Chinoputsa and Gladys Hlatywayo.

Circumstances leading to their arrest are that on June 5, 2020, police received information that the opposition party members were gathered at Morgan Tsvangirai House in Harare in contravention of Statutory Instrument 83 of 2020, which prohibited the gathering of more than 50 people.

It was alleged that they were planning to stage an unsanctioned demonstration.

The State alleges that police reacted swiftly and went to the corner of Nelson Mandela Avenue and Angwa Street where a number of the opposition party’s supporters were already gathered.

Upon seeing the police, Biti, Karenyi and others allegedly started to cause mayhem, leading to the arrest of some of the participants.

In the afternoon of the same day, while police were monitoring the situation at the intersection of Nelson Mandela Avenue and Angwa Street, the six opposition members reportedly arrived at the scene in the company of more than 50 people.

It is alleged that they burst into song, “Kana ndafa nehondo”, and allegedly blocked roads.

The court heard that the conduct of Biti and his co-accused interfered with public comfort, peace and convenience.

They were then arrested before being taken to court.