News / Local
Charges against CCC activists thrown out
18 Jun 2023 at 08:44hrs | Views
TWO Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) supporters have been acquitted on charges of tearing political campaign posters belonging to a Zanu-PF candidate in Manicaland.
Zephenia Nyangani and Learnmore Makuwaza who reside in Mboto village in Mutasa district had been on trial after they were arrested on December 10, 2022.
They were charged with destruction of political posters as defined in section 152(1) of the Electoral Act.
During trial which commenced on May 2, 2023 at Mutasa Magistrates Court, prosecutors alleged the duo defaced posters belonging to Zanu-PF local government candidate, Regina Barara, ahead of a pending by-election.
Nyangani and Makuwaza were accused of tearing the posters when they were pasting and affixing posters of their CCC political party candidate in Ward 6 after the seat became vacant following the death of the sitting representative.
Magistrate Artwell Sanyatwe, however, acquitted Nyangani and Makuwaza at the close of the state case.
This is after their lawyer David Tandiri of the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights applied for their discharge on the grounds that prosecutors failed to prove a prima facie case against the two CCC supporters.
Tandiri also argued that state witnesses, who testified during the trial gave contradictory and inconsistent testimonies.
Sanyatwe agreed with Tandiri's arguments and ruled that one of the state witnesses had exonerated Nyangani and Makuwaza in the commission of the alleged offence.
A number of CCC members as well as pro-democracy activists face various charges in what the opposition party says is a targeted campaign to intimidate its supporters ahead of the August elections.
CCC spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere recently escaped prison after paying a US$500 fine for allegedly posting falsehoods against the police while MP Job Sikhala remains behind bars since June last year.
Sikhala clocked exactly a year in prison on Wednesday since his arrest on June 14 last year when he was charged with incitement to violence during the funeral wake of slain activist Moreblessing Ali.
Zephenia Nyangani and Learnmore Makuwaza who reside in Mboto village in Mutasa district had been on trial after they were arrested on December 10, 2022.
They were charged with destruction of political posters as defined in section 152(1) of the Electoral Act.
During trial which commenced on May 2, 2023 at Mutasa Magistrates Court, prosecutors alleged the duo defaced posters belonging to Zanu-PF local government candidate, Regina Barara, ahead of a pending by-election.
Nyangani and Makuwaza were accused of tearing the posters when they were pasting and affixing posters of their CCC political party candidate in Ward 6 after the seat became vacant following the death of the sitting representative.
Magistrate Artwell Sanyatwe, however, acquitted Nyangani and Makuwaza at the close of the state case.
This is after their lawyer David Tandiri of the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights applied for their discharge on the grounds that prosecutors failed to prove a prima facie case against the two CCC supporters.
Tandiri also argued that state witnesses, who testified during the trial gave contradictory and inconsistent testimonies.
Sanyatwe agreed with Tandiri's arguments and ruled that one of the state witnesses had exonerated Nyangani and Makuwaza in the commission of the alleged offence.
A number of CCC members as well as pro-democracy activists face various charges in what the opposition party says is a targeted campaign to intimidate its supporters ahead of the August elections.
CCC spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere recently escaped prison after paying a US$500 fine for allegedly posting falsehoods against the police while MP Job Sikhala remains behind bars since June last year.
Sikhala clocked exactly a year in prison on Wednesday since his arrest on June 14 last year when he was charged with incitement to violence during the funeral wake of slain activist Moreblessing Ali.
Source - Newsday
