Legislation regulating protests and demonstrations

This was an appeal against the judgment of the Regional Court that convicted and sentenced the appellants to a wholly suspended sentence of a fine of R600,00 or three months’ imprisonment.  The appellants had been charged with demonstrating in contravention of section 12(1)(e) as read with read with sections 1, 3, 4 and 13of the Regulation of Gatherings Act, 205 of 1995 (“the RGA”). 

This was an urgent application seeking a provisional order prohibiting the respondents (the police) from interfering with the applicant’s (Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions’) public gathering.

This was an application seeking a determination as to whether, section 27 of the Public Order and Security Act (POSA), banning any public processions or demonstrations in the Harare Central Business District for two weeks, was constitutional.