BY DESMOND CHINGARANDE OPPOSITION Legislators Job Sikhala and Godfrey Sithole were yesterday denied bail at the High Court in a case they are accused of inciting public violence.
In denying them bail, Justice Lucy Mungwari said their “grounds of appeal have no merit”.
The pair has been in custody for 22 days following their arrest on June 14 on charges of inciting public violence that erupted in Nyatsime following the murder of Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) activist Moreblessing Ali by an alleged Zanu PF activist Pius, alias Jamba, Mukandi who has since been arrested.
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Through their lawyers, Alec Muchadehama and Jeremiah Bamu, they told the court that no evidence was given by the State to prove that they committed the offence.
“The State’s reason in denying Sikhala and Sithole bail was that they were likely to jeopardise public safety, but this is being said without any evidence. These are just unsubstantiated reasons not supported by any evidence,” Muchadehama argued.
Muchadehama said the charges against the two were meaningless, and vaguely embarrassing.
Prosecutors submitted that Sikhala was arrested over the same offence over and over again, but did not repent. Mungwari concurred with the State.
Meanwhile, the duo’s application at the Harare magistrates’ court for postponement to a two-week remand was dismissed by magistrate Stanford Mambanje who remanded him to August 2 for a routine remand.
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