EIGHT people including two Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) councillors facing allegations of participating in an unsanctioned demonstration called by war veteran Blessed “Bombshell” Geza have been denied bail.
Among the eight detainees are two females.
One of the women, Mitchell Nyathi (25), was remanded in custody at Shurugwi Female Prison along with her three-month-old baby.
In her ruling, Gweru magistrate Beaulity Dube said the eight were not good candidates for bail since Geza was still at large.
Dube said it was, therefore, uncertain whether he would call for another demonstration.
The magistrate said there was a high risk of the accused persons absconding, as they would not want to go to prison after spending two weeks in jail.
She remanded the eight to April 28.
It is alleged that the eight Phillion Mawere (51) councillor for Gweru Urban, Parerenyatwa Nyika (44) councillor for Vungu, Victor Changa (43), Movern Vurayayi (27), Wellington Chirozva (35), Jamson Mugwisi (58), Sue Kombora (31) and Nyathi, all from Mkoba, staged a demonstration waving placards denouncing President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
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The State alleged that after Geza’s call for an “illegal” demonstration, Mawere and Nyika, being influential persons as councillors, allegedly organised Mkoba residents to hold an illegal demonstration against Mnangagwa.
The court heard that the eight gathered while waving placards. They recorded three video clips and took photos of themselves denigrating Mnangagwa.
The placards allegedly had various inscriptions including, “ED must go”, “Zvigananda must go”, Dambudzo ibva nembavha dzako (Dambudzo leave office along with your thieves), Waba zvakwana, urimbavha saka enda zvako ED (You have stolen enough so just go ED) and “Out with the old and in the new”.
Geza rallied Zimbabweans to take to the streets on March 31 to demand Mnangagwa’s resignation over various allegations that include presiding over a corrupt government and mismanagement.
Police have since pressed charges against Geza accusing him of incitement to violence among other charges.
Alpha Media Holdings senior journalist Blessed Mhlanga has been languishing in remand prison after he hosted Geza on Heart & Soul TV, where he called for Mnangagwa’s removal from office.
