Zimbabwe: jailed church leaders freed
Source: ZW News
Eight Zimbabwean church leaders were released on bail on Monday after being detained for allegedly holding an illegal political meeting in a church on Friday night, said officials.
The church leaders were charged with breaching a section of the criminal law codification act outlawing political gatherings without police permission, for the meeting held in the town of Kadoma, 120km southwest of the capital, Harare.
Pastor Lucky Moyo, a spokesperson for the Christian Alliance, a coalition of mainly Pentecostal churches campaigning for good governance, said: "The pastors have been finally released today on $100 000 bail each."
Magistrate Remigius Jemwa remanded the case to March. Moyo said: "The Christian Alliance had organised the meeting on Friday to launch a chapter in Kadoma. It was attended by scores of Christians from across denominations. The meeting was for Christians who felt they cannot remain silent while the country burns with companies closing, inflation hitting everyone hard and the majority of the people are suffering."
The pastor added: "We are not aligned to any political party and we don't mind who rules this country as long as they are accountable and respect the rights of all citizens. We are just against the prevailing situation characterised by looting and misgovernance."
Zimbabwe is in the throes of chronic economic crises with four-digit inflation, massive joblessness and at least 80% of the population living below the poverty threshold.