Tendai Biti in yet another delaying tactic

Tendai Biti's lawyers last week appeared before High Court Judge Rodgers Manyangadze, applying for an urgent court application for review of his dismissed application for referral to the Constitutional Court and temporary stay of proceedings at the magistrates court.

The move is seen as yet another tactic by Biti to delay his trial.

Biti is facing charges of assaulting an international investor, Mrs Tatiana Aleshina, at the Harare Magistrates Court.

It was agreed by Biti's lawyers, Mr Alec Muchadehama and Advocate Edley Mubaiwa, and prosecutors Mr Michael Reza and Mr Tozivepi Mapfuwa, that the State would submit their opposing affidavit today while the defence would submit their heads of argument on Wednesday.

It was also agreed that the State would submit heads on March 10 and the verbal review hearing would be on March 14.

The defence had applied that the matter be temporarily stayed pending the review hearing but the State opposed the application, saying it was a delaying tactic.

The matter was postponed to March 21 by the trial magistrate and the argument was if the review ruling is not ready by March 21, what would then happen.

Justice Manyangadze then said he could not make any sort of ruling in the absence of an application for stay of proceedings.

He then set today as the date for application for stay of proceedings.