A 92-YEAR-OLD Gwanda woman, who fell ill in detention has died. She together with other villagers was facing a charge of illegal occupation of State land.
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights member, Jabulani Mhlanga, yesterday confirmed that Elizabeth Ndlovu has passed away.
“She got sick while in police detention and did not recover. We got a call that she passed away on Monday,” Mhlanga said.
He, however, could not provide more details, saying he is yet to get more information on the unfortunate incident.
Efforts to get contact details of her relatives were fruitless.
Last month, police in Gwanda arrested 180 villagers including the deceased and other elderly persons above 70 years old for illegally settling on State land — Enyandeni in Gwanda.
Ndlovu was the eldest.
They were detained for two days without food and proper care.
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They were only set free after the State declined to prosecute.
This was after ZLHR lawyers’ Mhlanga and Mitchell Chigova of Mabhikwa and Partners Legal Practitioners challenged the manner in which their arrest had been effected.
The villagers were summoned to appear at Gwanda Magistrates Court where prosecutors filed an application seeking to formally place them on remand.
The charges against the villagers were withdrawn before plea after the ZLHR challenged their prosecution.
The deceased was among several villagers who were detained in a widely condemned government-sanctioned operation against alleged occupation of State land.
The operation was stopped following a public outcry including from Zanu PF.
