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Blessed Mhlanga bail ruling postponed to Friday
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The bail ruling for Blessed Mhlanga, a senior reporter with Alpha Media Holdings (AMH), has been postponed to Friday, February 28, 2025, at 12 noon. The decision, initially scheduled for today, was delayed due to the unavailability of Magistrate Farai Gwatima, who is attending a funeral.
Mhlanga, who is facing charges of transmitting a data message to incite public violence, appeared in court today, February 27, for the bail ruling. However, Magistrate Gwatima was unable to deliver his ruling as planned, leading to the rescheduling of the matter.
The State opposed Mhlanga's release on bail, citing concerns that he poses a flight risk and could interfere with witnesses. The prosecution argued that Mhlanga might commit similar offences if granted bail and that the equipment used to transmit the allegedly inciting video is yet to be recovered by the police. The State also claimed that procedures to recover the equipment are ongoing.
To bolster its case, the State called Josphat Chitamira from the CID Counter Terrorism Unit, who testified that 10 witnesses, all colleagues of Mhlanga, could be influenced by him, potentially compromising the investigation.
In response, Mhlanga's lawyer, Mr. Mhike, challenged the State's claims, asserting that they had failed to provide solid evidence as to why Mhlanga should not be granted bail. He proposed a bail amount of US$100 and suggested that Mhlanga be ordered to stay at his listed residence, with additional conditions preventing him from interfering with witnesses.
The charges against Mhlanga stem from an incident on January 27, 2025, when he allegedly recorded a video featuring Blessed Runesu Geza, a known war veteran, and broadcast it via the internet platform YouTube and HSTVzimlive.co.zw. The video was reportedly intended to incite members of the public to engage in acts of violence. The court heard that the content of the video contained statements that could lead to public violence, which authorities deemed unlawful.
The bail ruling will now be delivered on Friday, and Mhlanga's legal team remains hopeful for a favorable outcome.
Mhlanga, who is facing charges of transmitting a data message to incite public violence, appeared in court today, February 27, for the bail ruling. However, Magistrate Gwatima was unable to deliver his ruling as planned, leading to the rescheduling of the matter.
The State opposed Mhlanga's release on bail, citing concerns that he poses a flight risk and could interfere with witnesses. The prosecution argued that Mhlanga might commit similar offences if granted bail and that the equipment used to transmit the allegedly inciting video is yet to be recovered by the police. The State also claimed that procedures to recover the equipment are ongoing.
To bolster its case, the State called Josphat Chitamira from the CID Counter Terrorism Unit, who testified that 10 witnesses, all colleagues of Mhlanga, could be influenced by him, potentially compromising the investigation.
In response, Mhlanga's lawyer, Mr. Mhike, challenged the State's claims, asserting that they had failed to provide solid evidence as to why Mhlanga should not be granted bail. He proposed a bail amount of US$100 and suggested that Mhlanga be ordered to stay at his listed residence, with additional conditions preventing him from interfering with witnesses.
The charges against Mhlanga stem from an incident on January 27, 2025, when he allegedly recorded a video featuring Blessed Runesu Geza, a known war veteran, and broadcast it via the internet platform YouTube and HSTVzimlive.co.zw. The video was reportedly intended to incite members of the public to engage in acts of violence. The court heard that the content of the video contained statements that could lead to public violence, which authorities deemed unlawful.
The bail ruling will now be delivered on Friday, and Mhlanga's legal team remains hopeful for a favorable outcome.
Source - byo24news
