Dangarembgwa files for discharge

FILMMAKER and novelist Tsitsi Dangarembgwa has filed for discharge at the close of the State case in which she is being charged for participating in an illegal gathering aimed at causing public violence.

Dangarembgwa is jointly charged alongside Julie Gabriel Barnes. They are represented by Chris Mhike.

In their joint application, they submitted that the State had failed to prove a case against them.

Three witnesses, Constable Cleopas Chupinga, Assistant Inspectors Donald Chademana and Christian Vungai Makora testified for the State.

The duo said the State the witnesses agreed that there was nothing on their placards that could be deemed obscene, threatening, abusive or insulting.

"The witnesses also stated that no violence, breach of peace or bigotry materialised from the actions of the accused, and they failed to illustrate how the act of holding placards with harmless words by two unarmed women could create the potential for violence, breach of peace or bigotry," they submitted.

"The accused persons have no case to answer to, neither is there any legal basis to detain the accused persons any longer in this trial or to put them to their defence with the hope that somehow the two may incriminate themselves and prop up an otherwise unbelievable story of the State."

Magistrate Barbara Mateko postponed the matter to June 27 for ruling.