The High Court Wednesday ordered the release of MDC Alliance legislator Joanna Mamombe from Chikurubi Maximum Prisons where she was hauled up awaiting her mental health results.
Mamombe’s freedom comes after Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) successfully applied for her release
ZLHR, lawyers Jeremiah Bamu, Aleck Muchadehama and Tinomuda Soko were granted an order seeking Mamombe’s immediate release.
“Our dedicated team of lawyers have ended the detention of Harare West MP by obtaining a court order issued by Justice Muremba for her immediate release from Chikurubi Prison,” reads the statement by ZLHR
Mamombe was sent back to prison after Magistrate Bianca Makwande ruled that she should be assessed for mental health under the superintendent of Harare Remand Prison until October 2 , 2020.
Magistrate Makwande said that the court will have to look at the possibility of Mamombe being mentally ill.
The ruling came after a failure of the trial on the 9th of September 2020 in which the defence team argued that Mamombe was not mentally fit to stand trial.
She also said the court is not an expert on mentality and it requires expert advice to ascertain if the diagnosis was correct, to what extent and whether it will affect the trial.
She also cited the testimony of her doctor, Fungai Mazhandu who gave her testimony in court saying it could not be clear and she could not be neutral.
Mamombe is facing charges of faking her abduction with other two co-accused Cecelia Chimbiri and Netsai Marowa.
She is, however, appearing in court tomorrow, when her mental examination will be complete
