MDC-T activists to languish in prison

FORMER Victoria Falls resident magistrate Mr Richard Ramaboea has sentenced seven MDC-T activists including three serving municipality councillors to two months in prison for disrupting a public meeting.

The ward development meeting was being addressed by Victoria Falls Mayor, Clr Nkosilathi Jiyane.

Clr Paulos Chiliwede (Ward 4), Clr Bernard Nyamambi (Ward 1), Clr Taruvinga Makoti (Ward 10), members Fredrick Ngwenya, Bongani Moyo, Robson Salimu and Nkululeko Moyo had pleaded not guilty to contravening Section 44 (b) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Chapter 9:23 (disrupting a public gathering).

Chiliwede, Nyamambi, Makoti, Ngwenya, Moyo, Salimu and Moyo were given an option of paying $150 fine or two months in prison.

At the start of the case there were nine accused but Clr Nkululeko Nyoni (Ward 6) was discharged at the close of the State case while Innocent Ndlovu was found not guilty of the charge.

Mr Ramaboea is back in Victoria Falls to complete his partly heard cases as he is now based at Bulawayo's Western Commonage magistrates' courts. It was the State case as presented by the prosecutor Ms Namatai Ngwasha that on 6 January at Chinotimba Community Hall, Chiliwede, Nyamambi, Makoti, Ngwenya, Moyo, Salimu, Moyo, Ndlovu and Ncube unlawfully used threatening, abusive and insulting words or behaved in a threatening, abusive or insulting manner intending to prevent  the transition of business for which the gathering was called.

The MDC-T activists threatened and stopped Clr Jiyane from continuing with the meeting as they accused him of being a sell-out by defecting Zanu-PF.

Through their interference, the meeting was cancelled.

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