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Fungai Lupande Court Reporter
The trial of Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum executive director Abel Chikomo, which was scheduled to commence on Monday, has been postponed to October 14. Chikomo was summoned to stand trial at the Harare Magistrates’ Court before magistrate Mr Tendai Mabwe, on charges of running an “unregistered” organisation on August 1 but the trial failed to start because the court was overwhelmed with cases.
Ms Francesca Mukumbiri confirmed the development and said the record was not opened.

According to the summons, Chikomo contravened Section 6 (3) of the Private Voluntary Organisation (PVO) Act Chapter 17:15 after he allegedly conducted some activities without being registered under the PVO Act. However, Chikomo denies the charges after the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum, a non-governmental umbrella organisation, conducted a survey on transitional justice in Harare’s Highfield suburb.

The State says this was illegal since the organisation is not registered as a PVO. It is the State’s case that Chikomo unlawfully instructed two of the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum’s workers to carry out a survey in Harare’s Highfield suburb with the intention of obtaining people’s recommendations on the preferred transitional justice mechanism for Zimbabwe, without his organisation registering with the Social Welfare Department under the PVO Act.

Last year, Chikomo’s trial on the same charges, which first arose in February 2011, was shelved after State prosecutor Innocent Chingarande withdrew summons issued against him as the State was not ready to proceed with the matter.

At that time, Chikomo was represented by Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights board member Selby Hwacha and Jeremiah Bamu.
Over the past two years, Chikomo has been interrogated and asked to report to the police station on several occasions on the activities carried out by his organisation.