The state of Zimbabwe has once again shown its contempt for justice by failing to meet a critical deadline in the case of veteran opposition leader Jameson Timba and 77 others. After the defence filed their application for discharge following the close of the state’s case, the court ordered prosecutors Lance Mutsokoti and Sheila Mupindu to respond by Wednesday at 11 am. This deadline was crucial because it would have allowed the court to issue a ruling today at 2:15 pm. But the state failed to meet it. They only submitted their response today, throwing the entire process into disarray and ensuring further delays in a case that has already dragged on far too long.
This failure is not just a technical error. It is a calculated move to prolong the detention of Timba and his co-accused. These individuals were arrested on June 16 at Timba’s home in Avondale, Harare. They are accused of holding an illegal gathering to incite violence just before a SADC summit. Since then, they have been locked up, and every delay is another day of punishment without conviction. Timba’s son, Ndapuwa Shaun, has also filed a separate discharge application, but with the state’s bungling, both applications now face uncertainty. The court will now have to rely on oral arguments from the defence in response to the late state submission, making an already complex case even more difficult to manage.
These delays are not happening in a vacuum. Zimbabweans know what is really going on. The state is using its power to target the opposition, and this case is a perfect example. Timba is not just any citizen. He is a prominent voice in Zimbabwe’s democratic struggle, and his continued detention is a message to every Zimbabwean who dares to stand up against tyranny. The state’s failure to act within the rules of the court is not a mistake. It is a weapon. It is part of a broader strategy to silence and frustrate the opposition.
The damage being done here goes far beyond the prison walls. Every delay, every missed deadline, every day in custody without a fair ruling chips away at what little faith remains in Zimbabwe’s justice system. This case is being watched closely, not just by legal experts, but by ordinary citizens who want to believe that the courts still stand for something. What they are seeing instead is a system that bends for the powerful and crushes those who challenge the status quo.
The court is now stuck between a rock and a hard place. It must decide whether to reward the state’s failure by postponing the case or push forward in the name of justice. Either way, Timba and the others sit behind bars, waiting. Their families wait. Their supporters wait. The whole country waits. All because the state could not or would not play by the rules.
As the defence team prepares to respond orally to the last-minute filing, the nation holds its breath. Will this be the end of the ordeal or just another chapter in a saga of injustice? The court’s decision will echo far beyond the courtroom. It will tell us who we are as a nation and whether there is still hope for fairness in Zimbabwe.
For now, Jameson Timba and the 78 others remain detained. Their fate hangs in the balance. What happens next will either restore some faith in justice or confirm what many already fear. That in Zimbabwe, justice is no longer blind. It is bound and gagged.
About The Author
