HARARE – A student leader arrested on Thursday following protests outside a car rental company on September 8 is spending the weekend in prison after his bail hearing was postponed to Monday.

Harare magistrate Barbra Mateko said she was overwhelmed with work as she ordered the further detention of Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU) president Takudzwa Godfrey Ngadziore on Friday.

Ngadziore, 22, is accused of participating in a demonstration with intent to promote public violence, breach of peace or bigotry.

Prosecutors say he was one of more than a dozen placard-waving protesters who converged outside the offices of Impala Car Rental which is in the eye of a storm after one of its vehicles was used in the abduction and torture of university student Tawanda Muchehiwa on July 30.

Ngadziore, who is represented by Webster Jiti of the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, was now asked to plead during a brief court hearing.

Lancelot Mutsokoti for the prosecution alleged that the Great Zimbabwe University student, in the company of about 20 others who are still at large, proceeded to Impala Car Rental located at number 40 Chiremba Road in Harare driving in four vehicles.

Some of the placards were written #PeoplePower; Impala Stop Enabling Abductions; Justice, Justice, Justice; No To Abductions; #SabotageImpala and #ZimbabweLivesMatter.

The court heard that the demonstrators were chanting slogans using a loud hailer while whistling and filming themselves.

‘The accused in his own words indicated in the video clip that he wanted all political parties, civic society organisations and pressure groups to start making noise and sabotage Impala Car Rental operations and cause the company’s collapse,” said Mutsokoti.

“He further indicated that his Excellency Emmerson Mnangagwa must know that they are coming for him.”

The state said Ngadziore and his alleged accomplices took turns in using the loud hailer to call for Zimbabweans to come together and act against abductions of Mnangagwa’s rivals.

It is alleged that as a result of Ngadziore’s actions, Impala Car Rental barricaded themselves in their offices and they could not freely move around doing their work at the company premises.