The Human rights lawyers on Tuesday 29 December 2015 launched a fresh freedom bid seeking the release of Pastor Patrick Phillip Mugadza, who has been in prison for two weeks since being granted US$500 bail following his arrest on charges of staging a protest denouncing President Robert Mugabe’s 35 year-old reign.

The 45 year-old Pastor Mugadza from the Remnant Church has endured 14 days in remand prison in Victoria Falls in Matabeleland North province since he was granted US$500 bail on Tuesday 15 December 2015 by Magistrate Lindiwe Maphosa after failing to raise the set bail money.

Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights Communications officer Kumbirai Mafunda said on Tuesday 29 December 2015, Pastor Mugadza’s lawyer Thulani Nkala of Dube and Company Legal Practitioners, a member of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, petitioned the Victoria Falls Magistrates Court seeking an order for variation of bail conditions so as to allow the clergyman to pay US$50 bail since he has struggled without success for more than two weeks to secure his freedom by paying the set US$500.

“In the application for variation of bail conditions, which is yet to be set down for hearing, Pastor Mugadza through his lawyer argued that the bail fee was too exorbitant,” he said.

“Pastor Mugadza was arrested on Friday 11 December 2015 during the 15th ZANU PF Annual National People’s Conference held in the resort town of Victoria Falls and charged with criminal nuisance for contravening Section 46 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Chapter 9:23 after he allegedly staged a one-man protest denouncing President Mugabe for presiding over the collapse of the once prosperous southern African country’s economy.”

Mafunda said the State through Listen Nare of the National Prosecuting Authority alleged that Pastor Mugadza, who resides in Kariba in Mashonaland West province, disturbed the movement of some ZANU PF party supporters who were on their way to attend the ruling party’s Annual National People’s Conference by waving a banner with a message denouncing President Mugabe’s leadership of the southern African country.

“Nare claimed that Pastor Mugadza committed criminal nuisance by waving a banner in the resort town, which read “Mr President. The people are suffering. Proverbs Chapter 21 Verse 13″. The Prosecutor charged that Mugadza acted unlawfully because his actions disturbed the movement of members of the public.

The clergyman’s trial has been scheduled for Tuesday 05 January 2016,” he said.by Stephen Jakes
Source: Byo24News