JUSTICE IN ZIMBABWE 96 ____________________________________________________________________ Q – Do you know any of the accused persons sitting at the dock? A – Yes Q – Which? A – Hennie Q – Indicate him A – He is not present … Q – And do you know any of the other accused persons? A – Tony from Bell. … Q – Can you please indicate Tony to the court. A – He is not here but he fired a firearm.” His evidence did not improve as it went on. He and the other witnesses blithely departed from the statements they had made to the police, and their allegations of brutal assaults being perpetrated upon them were not borne out by the very few injuries they suffered. Some of the witnesses showed contempt towards the court, by laughing and refusing to answer questions. The first witness lounged in the witnessbox pretending to be half asleep. The trial lasted until 1 July 2002, with frequent adjournments caused by failure on the part of the police to bring witnesses to court. The result, however, was inevitable. At the close of the State case defence counsel applied for the remaining accused to be discharged and the magistrate proceeded to acquit them: “I am constrained not to believe the State witnesses. All of them gave different versions; some denied common cause events. Some exaggerated the involvement