FIVE Hwange villagers have been set free after spending two nights in detention following their arrest for allegedly protesting against the extraction of water from a dam in their community by a Chinese-owned power company.
The five villagers comprising of four women namely Simangele Singa aged 40 years, Definite Munsaka aged 34 years, Chetani Mathe aged 35 years and Lynette Zulu aged 34 years and Likwa Nyathi, a male adult aged 26 years, were arrested by Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) officers on Wednesday 1 October 2025 in Diki village in Hwange in Matabeleland North province and charged with committing a litany of crimes among them obstructing any water works as defined in section 118(1)(a) of the Water Act, disorderly conduct as defined in section 41(b) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act and public indecency as defined in section 77(1)(a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.
When the five villagers appeared at Hwange Magistrates Court on Friday 3 October 2025 after spending two nights in police detention, prosecutors alleged that they unlawfully and intentionally obstructed some employees of Zhongjing Helli Energy from laying water pipes meant to draw water from Kalope Dam in Diki village.
The prosecutors claimed that the five villagers had unlawfully and intentionally engaged in riotous conduct at Kalope Dam by threatening to strike some Zhongjing Helli Energy employees with stones. The prosecutors also alleged that Zulu, one of the villagers, had unlawfully and intentionally indecently exposed herself by removing her dress and exposing her breasts within the view of other persons.
Singa, Munsaka, Mathe, Zulu and Nyathi, who were represented by Thulani Nkala of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, were set free on Friday 3 October 2025 after each of them were ordered to pay bail of US$100.
The villagers will return to court on 17 October 2025.
ENDS
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