5.1.8. On Wednesday 23 January 2019, the ZHRC followed up on the family of the Councillor and scouted the environment with the objective of monitoring whether the environment was back to normal after the stay away and the subsequent disturbances. At the Councillor’s house his wife was present with the children and a few neighbors had also gone there to enquire about the family’s welfare. Her narration of the events that transpired on the day that her husband was arrested were corroborated by family members that were at the house on the day of the ZHRC’s first visit. She then mentioned that during the first days, visiting her husband was difficult as access to him was not easily granted. At times she would give food and a change of clothes to one of her neighbors whose brother had also been arrested who would then give her husband. She indicated that he was now remanded at Chikurubi after he appeared in court and was denied bail and he was being legally represented by lawyers from Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZHLR). A further update received by the ZHRC, revealed that the Councillor was convicted and sentenced to 5 years but 2 years 4months were suspended. He has since appealed the decision and is out on bail and is still being represented by ZLHR. 5.1.9. The ZHRC also had a focus group discussion with about eleven (11) men who are in MDC structures in Pentagon area of Ward 4, Epworth. Initially when they saw the Commission vehicle, they ran away, but one of them realized that it was the ZHRC and then they started coming out of their hiding places. They indicated that they were no longer staying in their houses due to the raids that were being conducted every day in their homes. They indicated that they were now staying at hide outs in their numbers and only went to their homes in secret to take baths and change their clothes. They highlighted that as self-employed people they were losing out on their businesses since they could not work due to fear of being arrested. At the time, they made an appeal Page 12 of 68