Zimbabwe

MDC-A activists trial deferred

MDC-Alliance members (from left) Joana Mamombe, Cecilia Chimbiri and Netsai Marova at Harare Magistrates’ Court recently. — Picture: Justin Mutenda

Nyore Madzianike Senior Court Reporter

THE trial of three MDC Alliance members — Joana Mamombe, Cecilia Chimbiri and Netsai Marova — who are accused of participating in an illegal demonstration in Harare could not start yesterday after their lawyer excused himself since he was attending a colleague’s funeral.

Lawyer Obey Shava, who appeared on behalf of lawyer Alec Muchadehama, told Harare regional magistrate Mr Ngoni Nduna that a workmate at the firm identified as Mr G Sibanda had died and that some of the lawyers at the firm were working from home as their premises were being disinfected for Covid-19. Mr Nduna adjourned the trial to August 21. All three are on bail.

Allegations against the three are that on 13 May at around 12.30pm, they gathered at Choppies Supermarket in Warren Park 1 with other MDC-Alliance youths and staged a demonstration against the recalling of their MPs from Parliament by the MDC-T and what they alleged was misuse of funds for fighting the Covid-19 pandemic.

On the same day, they allegedly called their friends, family and lawyers, saying they had been arrested at a roadblock near the Exhibition Park, were taken to Harare Central Police Station, and there abducted. The State instead accuses them to faking the abduction.

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Mr Michael Reza represented the State in the matter.

Meanwhile, estranged wife of Vice President, Marry Mubaiwa also yesterday appeared before the same magistrate on attempted murder, money laundering and fraud charges.

Mubaiwa’s attempted murder charges arose after she allegedly attempted to kill the VP while he was in a South African hospital. She was remanded on the same bail conditions to 7 September for routine remand.

In another criminal case, where Mubaiwa faces charges of assaulting her ex-maid Delight Munyoro, the trial failed to start this week after she indicated that she was too ill to stand trial. That trial was set to September 7 to 9 for trial on a continuous roll.

HERALD