The Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) welcomes the acquittal of our Secretary General, Cde Robson Chere, alongside pro-democracy campaigners Namatai Kwekweza and Michael Gwenzi, who were tortured after being violently seized from a plane in Harare in July 2024 before being dragged through the courts on trumped-up charges of disorderly conduct.
Also acquitted today were ZINASU leader Emmanuel Sitima, Last Chifodya, and Vusumuzi Moyo.
However, in a deeply unjust outcome, Simbarashe Blakistone, Daphine Gutsa, and Phyllis Pikitai were found guilty. Sentencing in their case has been postponed to tomorrow at 11:15hrs.
Our Position
- These charges should never have been brought forward in the first place. This case was nothing more than an attempt to suppress democratic voices and intimidate human rights defenders.
- The prolonged trial was a waste of the accused persons’ time, dignity, and freedoms, serving only the interests of tyranny.
- We castigate the State for weaponising the law to undermine the very principles Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle was built upon, justice, freedom, and the protection of human rights.
Solidarity & Resistance
As ARTUZ, we stand resolute with our comrades who still face sentencing tomorrow. They should not have been found guilty, their only crime was exercising the fundamental freedoms guaranteed by Zimbabwe’s Constitution and paid for in the blood of liberation heroes.
We commend our Secretary General, Cde Robson Chere, for his unwavering courage throughout this persecution. Together with his co-accused, he has today defeated tyranny in court, proving that the truth cannot be silenced.
We also salute the steadfast support of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), who continue to be the shield of democracy, defending our comrades against a state machinery determined to crush dissent.
Our Call
This struggle is bigger than today’s acquittals. As long as some comrades remain unjustly convicted, the fight continues. ARTUZ and its allies will not rest until every Zimbabwean is free to exercise their basic human rights without fear of persecution, harassment, or criminalisation.
The acquittal of some is a victory, but the conviction of others is a grave injustice. We demand justice for all.
An injury to one is an injury to all.