by Christopher Makaza
The three MDC Alliance youth activists Cecilia Chimbiri, Netsai Marova, and member of the House of Assembly, Joana Mamombe, are plotting to skip the border to South Africa under the disguise of seeking further treatment, the Harare Post has learnt.
The three are being charged for contravening official regulations on COVID-19 prevention and containment after engaging in an illegal demonstration in Warren Park on the 13th May 2020.
According to a contact, the MDC Alliance is fully aware that the three activists have a case to answer and will be prosecuted, hence, the intention to facilitate their escape. Job Sikhala was reportedly tasked to facilitate their escape in a smart way.
The MDC Alliance had intended to take advantage of the fact that the police had not yet officially charged them, which would allow them to travel. However, the intended escape is likely to hit a snag as they have already been charged and their bail conditions might make it impossible to execute the plot.
The trio was tried at Parktown Hospital in Harare where prosecutor Tinashe Makiya proposed ZW$2,000 bail for each. The State further wants them to report three times a week to a police station nearest to where they live. Harare magistrate, Barbara Mateko is expected to make a ruling on the bail conditions today.
A contact within Chamisa`s camp revealed that Dr Fortune Nyamande of the Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights (ZADHR), was instructed to prepare a fake assessment report which, would indicate that the three needed to be examined using advanced diagnostic equipment only found in South Africa to justify the trio`s escape to that country.
The contact further revealed that if the State were to reject Dr Nyamande`s cooked report, the opposition outfit would then make noise and engage in fresh demonstrations in protest.
The trio’s lawyer, Jeremiah Bhamu was also instructed not to surrender their passports if the court requested him to do so. According to contact, surrendering the three’s passports would restrict their intended travel to South Africa.
According to the contact, the US embassy has pledged to avail funds for the medical treatment of the trio.
Political analyst, Munyaradzi Mudzvova says, “The US Embassy`s swift response to the alleged abduction issue and its pledge to fund the so-called South Africa treatment betrays its involvement in the stage-managed abduction.
“It`s not a secret that America and its allies work with Chamisa to fulfil their regime change agenda in Zimbabwe. They try by all means to fight in Chamisa`s corner. They want to tarnish Zimbabwe Government`s image to justify extension of sanctions.”
Mudzvova, however, said the three`s plan to scape to South Africa has hit a brick wall as their trial is already underway.
The three activists wanted to escape the country using the same modus operandi employed by Dr Magombeyi, who left the country for what his medical team called "urgent" treatment in South Africa. He never returned.
