MDC Alliance MP for Binga North Prince Dubeko Sibanda (47) was on Monday arrested and charged with inciting violence after he allegedly distributed face masks inscribed “#ZANU-PF MUST GO” to employees of a local supermarket.
According to the State represented by Prosecutor Nkathazo Dlodlo allegations against Sibanda are that on August 2 he distributed two face masks written “#Zanu-PF must go” to two employees from Pick’n’Pay Hyper in Bulawayo.
Sibanda appeared before Bulawayo provincial magistrate Tinashe Tashaya and he was not asked to plead to a charge of inciting public violence.
He was remanded out of custody to September 17.
Sibanda is represented by lawyer, Nqobani Sithole of Ncube attorneys confirmed to the court that his client was fully aware of the charges leveled against him.
Prosecutor Dlodlo told the court that Sibanda committed the offence on August 2 at Pick’n’Pay Hyper in Bulawayo.
“On August 2, at TM Pick n Pay Hyper, Bulawayo, accused went on to distribute two face masks to two Pick’n’Pay pay employees Marvelous Ndaba and Brian Maunze.
“The masks were printed the following words #ZANU-PF MUST GO meant to incite public violence and were recovered. The state may produce the recovered face masks as exhibits,” Dlodlo said.
Zimbabwe is currently experiencing massive human rights violations perpetrated by President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s under-fire administration which is battling an economic crisis partly blamed on corruption and mismanagement.
Over 60 people have been arrested and some of them brutalized by suspected state security agents following the 31st July anti-corruption protests.
Journalist Hopewell Chin’ono who played a key role in exposing Mnangagwa, his son Collins and his wife Auxilia in allegations of corruption was arrested on spurious charges of inciting violence.
The fallout saw the arrest and dismissal of former Health Minister Obadiah Moyo. But Chin’ono was also arrested together with opposition Transform Zimbabwe leader Jacob Ngarivhume.
They were charged for inciting violence, in connection with 31st July protests against corruption.
They are being detained at the country’s largest and notorious jail, the Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison.
MDC Alliance national youth organiser, Godfrey Kurauone was recently arrested and charged with undermining President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s authority.
All of them have been denied bail in an average of two applications to the county’s courts.
On Friday, MDC Alliance Vice Chairman Job Sikhala was arrested and charged with allegations of inciting public violence in connection with 31st July protests against corruption.
On Tuesday last week, top lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa claimed Mnangagwa’s administration was instituting persecution of human rights lawyers after the Magistrate Court banned her from representing incarcerated journalist Chin’ono. Nehanda Radio
