Zimbabwe’s main opposition party MDC-Alliance legislator Joanna Mamombe and her co-accused Cecilia Chimbiri have been denied bail by a Harare Magistrate who remanded them in custody till 18 February, Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) has revealed.
In a tweet, ZLHR said, “Harare West MP Hon. Mamombe & Chimbiri return to Chikurubi Maximum Prison after they were denied bail by Harare Magistrate Mambanje & were remanded in custody to 18 February.
“Magistrate Mambanje denies bail says it’s not in the interest of Justice to release them from prison.”
According to ZLHR, Magistrate Stanford Mambanje said there is little reason to trust the duo that they will not commit offences while on bail.
Other sources revealed that they were remanded in custody to March 13.
The duo was arrested on Monday in Harare after they allegedly followed and shouted obscenities at a police vehicle.
In May last year the duo was initially together with their colleague Netsai Marova arrested following a flash food protest in Warren Park and was charged with flouting lockdown regulations.
They were allegedly kidnapped from police custody by suspected state security agents and were later found dumped in a marketplace in Bindura and had to receive treatment in hospital for their injuries.
They accused their kidnappers for sexually assaulting them. They were later re-arrested for faking their abduction.
Since then, the trio has been in and out of prison.