For the third time, jailed Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) interim leader Jameson Timba and 64 of his supporters have been denied bail. Magistrate Collet Ncube ruled that no new circumstances had arisen to justify their release.
Timba and his group were first denied bail upon their initial appearance and later by the High Court, which determined that their release could compromise justice. The group faces charges of holding an unsanctioned meeting at Timba’s Avondale residence.
However, they were acquitted of disorderly conduct at the close of the State’s case after a fast-tracked trial. The remaining charges are ongoing, with the group now defending themselves in court.
During their defence hearing, they applied for bail again, but the request was rejected on Monday.
Webster Jiti, one of their lawyers from the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, said they would appeal the decision as the defence hearing might take a long time, given the number of accused individuals.
“The basis of the application was that a significant amount of time has passed since the accused were incarcerated. With at least 65 witnesses set to testify, it could take several months to complete the case,” Jiti explained, confirming the decision to appeal.
Timba and the activists have been in jail since June 16, 2024. Initially, there were 78 suspects, but 12, including Timba’s son, were acquitted at the close of the State’s case. The court ruled they were not part of the gathering and had been caught in the crossfire.
Last week, an Ordinary Level student who was part of the remaining group was granted bail after persistent lobbying by various pressure groups and rights organizations.
