Jim Kunaka denied bail, magistrate says he has propensity to abscond
By Nyashadzashe Ndoro | Nehanda Politics |
Harare Magistrate Mrs Judith Taruvinga last week denied bail to incarcerated National Patriotic Front (NPF) member Jim Kunaka who is facing charges of inciting public violence.
The State led by Public Prosecutor Lancelotte Mutsokoti accuses Kunaka of participating in a gathering with intent to promote public violence, breach of peace or bigotry and an alternative charge of incitement of gatherings of more than 50 people without permission and contravening the Covid-19 regulations in August last year.
Mutsokoti, opposed bail arguing that Kunaka was likely to abscond as he defaulted another pending case on August 7 in which he is facing charges of subverting a constitutionally-elected Government.
The court heard that during the period extending from March 1 to to July 30, Kunaka, intending to persuade and induce other persons or realising that there was real risk or possibility that by such communication other persons may be persuaded or induced to engage in public violence or participate in a gathering that would disturb peace, posted video on social media inciting people across the country to participate in illegal demonstrations on July 31 2020.
In the video Kunaka is accused of saying the following words: “Good evening Zimbabwe my name is Jim Kunaka, today I am in Rushinga, Mt Darwin. We were conducting our mobilisation for tomorrow’s demonstration, we have finished work here in Mt Darwin in Mashonaland Central Province.
“People have accepted, people have agreed with us that corruption has caused our suffering and hunger. People who are looting the national cake have left us with nothing to eat so we have agreed here in Mashonaland Central that people will come out to demonstrate in their numbers.”
Kunaka a former Chipangano gang leader who terrorised opposition supporters under the regime of the late President Robert Mugabe, made headlines when whistleblowing Zanu PF terror activities during the Motlanthe Commission that investigated the killing of protestors by the army in 2018.
