ZEC testifies in Biti case

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has testified in the case in which Tendai Biti is facing charges of contravening section 66(a) of the Electoral Act for unofficially and falsely announcing the July election results.

Biti is alleged to have published purported results of the 2018 general elections in which he declared Nelson Chamisa as the winner.

ZEC Chief Elections Officer, Mr Utoile Silaigwana said he learnt of the declaration by Biti through the media and other social platforms way before the completion of the collation of results.

He said ZEC was not in constant communication with polling stations in remote areas due to network challenges, hence there were more results which were yet to come to the command centre.

The investigating officer, Assistant Commissioner Jelous Nyabasa also testified and revealed that he arrested Biti at Chirundu border post before bringing him to Harare.

Beatrice Mtetwa, who is representing Biti, quizzed the investigating officer why he did not make his independent investigations as to the results of the elections and she was told that was the mandate of ZEC.

Meanwhile, the Rotten Row Court is now dealing with more than 20 cases of violence and trials are at different stages.

Officer in charge for Epworth Police Station testified in the trial of the 61 accused persons who participated in violence on the 14th of January.

Inspector Peter Mangwende revealed that the hooligans barricaded the road as early as 5.30.am adding by 6.am, there were vehicles which were already being attacked by the hooligans.

He further stated that the accused pounced on the police station, resulting in him calling reinforcement form the Support Unit to maintain law and order as the situation was getting out of hand.