HARARE – High Court judge Justice Benjamin Chikowero has granted bail to former Binga North legislator Prince Dubeko Sibanda, who was arrested in Beitbridge and charged with inciting public violence.
Sibanda, who is aligned to the former opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) leader Nelson Chamisa, was ordered to pay US$300 bail and surrender his title deeds.
He was represented by Alec Muchadehama of the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights. Sibanda spent 20 days in pre-trial detention.
He was detained together with more than 100 political activists who were arrested ahead of the recently concluded Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit where President Emmerson Mnangagwa assumed the chairmanship of the regional bloc.
Zanu-PF spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa recently admitted that the activists were arrested in order to contain their alleged plan to demonstrate against Mnangagwa during the summit.
Interestingly, two days ago, magistrate Collet Ncube released 12 activists who were arrested together with former Cabinet Minister Jameson Timba and 65 others.
The magistrate ruled that Timba and his co-accused had a case to answer regarding allegations of disorderly conduct in connection with holding an unsanctioned political gathering at Timba’s Avondale residence.
Ncube stated that their evidence was credible due to police confirmation of their presence elsewhere at the time of the incident. These individuals were engaged in various activities such as working, visiting friends, distributing fliers, driving, or simply passing by.
The magistrate found that their defences could not be disputed and therefore declared them not guilty and acquitted them of the first count.
“The confirmation by the police that there were some people on the road adds credibility to these people’s defense, and these are Resca Munetsi, who was collecting money in Avondale, Violet Chitsindi, who had visited a friend, Simon Size, who was looking for peace jobs, Calvin Charumapasi, a vendor, Redeem Mandizvidza, who was distributing fliers, Tatenda Mukwembi, a driver, Tawanda Mukucha, Prince Madhena, who was at the shops, Wisdom Nyama, who was passing by, Tobias Mangwayana, a vendor, and Lucia Kandemiiri, a tenant at Timba’s residence.
“The finding of this court is that these cannot be placed on their defence in count, and accordingly, they are found not guilty and acquitted in the first count. The balance will proceed to the defence case,” the magistrate ruled.
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