Zengeza West MP Job Sikhala (MDC Alliance), who has been in pre-trial detention for more than 300 days, and former Chitungwiza Mayor Lovemore Maiko appeared before a Harare magistrate on Thursday, 20 April, charged with disorderly conduct.
Sikhala and Sithole allegedly disrupted a ZANU PF rally in Chitungwiza in May last year by throwing stones at people who were gathered at the event.
They are being charged with disorderly conduct as defined in Section 41 (a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, Chapter 9:23.
Their trial, however, failed to kick off after their lawyers indicated that they had not been furnished with papers to prepare for their clients’ defence.
Harare magistrate Yeukai Dzuda postponed the matter to 9 May.
Allegations are that on 02 May 2022, at around 10 am, ZANU PF aspiring candidate for Ward 7, Charamba Mlambo, was holding a council by-elections campaign rally at Zengeza 5 open grounds in Chitungwiza.
The court heard that at around 2 PM, Sikhala and Maiko, who were reportedly part of a group that was armed with stones, allegedly approached the gathering and started stoning the people.
The gathering was forced to disperse as a result.
Sikhala, who is the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) deputy national chairperson, has remained on pre-trial detention for the past 10 months after his arrest in June last year.
He was arrested for allegedly inciting public violence and disturbing police investigations following the murder of Moreblessing Ali of Nyatsime in 2022.
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