Roy Bennett bail hearing scheduled for Tuesday
Via MDC Press Release — Harare Supreme Court bail hearing for MDC Treasurer General and Deputy Minister of Agriculture designate, Hon Roy Bennett will be heard on Tuesday 10, March 2009, at 1130hrs.
The state lost twice in the Harare High Court applications for the continued detention of Roy Bennett on politically motivated and trumped up charges. Flagrantly disregarding the law, the state used judicial, quasi-judicial and extra-judicial measures to frustrate, and block the release, on bail, of Roy Bennett.
In his judgement on the state’s appeal for an application for leave of appeal in the Harare Supreme Court, Justice Gware granted the state leave to appeal to the Supreme Court but stated, correctly, that there was no prospect of success for the state.
As we have consistently stated, there is no basis at law for both the charges, and more so, the denial of bail to Roy Bennett. The abuse of judicial processes, and when this abuse is exhausted, the use of quasi-and extra-judicial measures to detain Roy Bennett and all other political prisoners do not give confidence to a new era of the return of just law, something the country, in the interest of national reconstruction, dearly needs.
As there is no basis at law for the charges, and continued detention of Roy Bennett, and all other political prisoners, we demand their immediate unconditional release unharmed. They have become, plainly, political hostages.
MDC Secretary for Social Welfare, Kerry Kay visited Roy Bennett earlier today. The appalling and inhuman conditions in the prison continue to deteriorate. Yet another prisoner starved to death early today morning. Roy Bennett has requested the MDC Manicaland to bring food, and MDC Manicaland has been granted permission to bring in food for all inmates, at least, in Roy Bennett cell.
Meanwhile, Roy Bennett has learnt with great sadness the tragic passing-on of Mrs Susan Tsvangirai. Roy Bennett is gravely saddened and has conveyed his condolences to President of the MDC, and Prime Minister of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Morgan Tsvangirai, his family, the MDC and to the people of Zimbabwe. In his message Roy Bennett emphasised the need for all to remain true to the dreams of the democratic Zimbabwe and to “strive to achieve the Zimbabwe mai Tsvangirai (Mrs Tsvangirai) wanted to see”.
