Former Chitungwiza Mayor Lovemore Maiko has been released on bail after being arrested for allegedly leading a protest against ZANU PF’s campaign to extend President Mnangagwa’s tenure.
According to the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), Maiko, a former opposition Citizens Coalition for Change Councillor, was arrested on 21 January 2025.
He was charged with participating in a gathering with the intent to promote public violence, breaches of peace, or bigotry.
Prosecutors alleged that Maiko and about 50 accomplices, who have not yet been apprehended, held an unsanctioned gathering at Zengeza 3 Shopping Centre in Chitungwiza.
The protest was against ZANU PF’s plans to extend President Mnangagwa’s term beyond 2028.
Prosecutors claimed that Maiko and his accomplices sang political songs and chanted slogans like “2030 tazviramba” (“No to 2030”), “siyanai naye Chamisa” (“Leave Chamisa alone”), and “Pasi na Mnangagwa” (“Down with Mnangagwa”).
The 37-year-old Maiko and his accomplices reportedly dispersed after the alleged offence.
Maiko, represented by human rights lawyer Tapiwa Muchineripi, was set free on 23 January 2025 by Chitungwiza Magistrate Dennis Mangosi.
He was granted bail of $200 and ordered to report once a week on Fridays at ZRP St Mary’s Police Station in Chitungwiza.

Pindula News

Former Chitungwiza Mayor Lovemore Maiko was arrested for protesting against President Mnangagwa's attempt to stay president for longer. He was released on bail after being charged with causing trouble at a gathering. He and his friends sang songs and chanted against Mnangagwa. Maiko, who is 37 years old, now has to report to the police every week. He was helped by a human rights lawyer and the court let him go. The protest was against plans to extend Mnangagwa's presidency past 2028.

Former Chitungwiza Mayor Granted Bail After Leading Protest Against Mnangagwa's Third Term Bid

Former Zengeza West MP, Job Sikhala, and Councillor Lovemore Maiko have been found not guilty and acquitted of charges of disorderly conduct by Harare Magistrate Yeukai Dzuda. The two were accused of leading a group of supporters to disrupt a ZANU PF rally and pelting stones at ruling party supporters before the March 2022 by-elections. However, Magistrate Dzuda ruled that the evidence presented by state witnesses during the trial was inconsistent and filled with contradictions.
Advocate Jeremiah Bamu, the legal representative for Sikhala and Maiko, expressed satisfaction with the ruling, stating that the state’s case had numerous inconsistencies and witness testimonies contradicted each other on important aspects.
Only yesterday, <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/2024/02/15/job-sikhala-fined-us500-for-publishing-falsehoods/">Sikhala was fined $500</a> by another magistrate after being convicted of communicating falsehoods. He had also received a nine-month suspended sentence, provided he does not commit a similar offence within the next five years. This conviction stemmed from a tweet in which Sikhala claimed that a police officer had fatally struck a baby with a baton in Harare.

<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/2024/01/30/job-sikhala-and-godfrey-sithole-handed-wholly-suspended-2-year-jail-sentences/">Job Sikhala And Godfrey Sithole Handed Wholly Suspended 2-year Jail Sentences</a></li>
</ul>
Sikhala had been held at Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison since June 2022 for inciting public violence during the funeral wake of CCC activist Moreblessing Ali. However, <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/2024/01/30/job-sikhala-and-godfrey-sithole-handed-wholly-suspended-2-year-jail-sentences/">he was released on January 31, 2024,</a> as his sentence was wholly suspended due to the prolonged period he had spent in pretrial detention.
For more News, you can visit the <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News website.</a>

Former MP Job Sikhala And Councillor Lovemore Maiko Acquitted Of Disorderly Conduct Charges

A Harare magistrate has dismissed former Zengeza West Member of Parliament Job Sikhala’s application for discharge in a case where he is accused of disorderly conduct, reported <a href="https://www.newzimbabwe.com/magistrate-dismisses-sikhalas-application-for-discharge/">NewZimbabwe.com</a>.
Sikhala, who has been in pretrial detention since June 2022, is jointly charged with Chitungwiza mayor Lovemore Maiko (CCC).
Harare magistrate Yeukai Dzuda on Tuesday dismissed Sikhala and Maiko’s application for discharge and the two are set to appeal the ruling at the High Court.
Dzuda said the prosecution had a strong case and the two should proceed with their defense case.
Sikhala’s lawyer, Jeremiah Bamu, told reporters that they will appeal Dzuda’s ruling because it was unreasonable. He said:
<blockquote>
I have instructions to apply for review on the basis that this court made a factual finding that there are inconsistencies.
He is now in sixes and sevens trying to figure out how to respond to them in his defense.
We therefore seek time to file the review and we intend to have filed it before the end of the week. So perhaps we could have an interim remand for two weeks.
Dzuda postponed the matter to October 24 for the continuation of the trial.
</blockquote>
Sikhala and Maiko, together with other members of CCC, are accused of disrupting a ZANU PF rally ahead of the March 2022 by-elections.
It is alleged that the accused led a group of CCC supporters to the venue of the rally and pelted ZANU PF supporters with stones.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Harare Magistrate Dismisses Sikhala’s Application For Discharge

Councillor <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/Lovemore_Maiko/">Lovemore Maiko</a> of Ward 7 was re-elected as the Mayor of <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/Chitungwiza_Municipality/">Chitungwiza town</a> in Zimbabwe on September 18, 2023. Alongside him, Councillor Jerita Mutingwende from Ward 12, both representing the CCC party, was chosen as the Deputy Mayoress. Maiko secured 31 votes in the election, surpassing Leah Chidamba of the ruling ZANU PF who received only two votes.
The election process was overseen by Mr. <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/Tafadzwa_Muguti/">Tafadzwa Muguti</a>, the Secretary for Provincial Affairs and Devolution. Speaking after the election, Muguti said:
<blockquote>
I expect councillors to support, respect and work hand-in-hand with the mayor and deputy. I also ask for discernment and being able to understand that the moment you are elected, you’re not a political appointee, but a full government official. We take our politics, be it Zanu PF or CCC, to our party offices. The moment we come here, residents expect to see city fathers and mothers who are going to help and lead them.
</blockquote>
During his acceptance speech, Mayor Maiko expressed his commitment to prioritise the well-being of the residents. He acknowledged the responsibility and leadership required to provide reliable and quality service to the municipality’s residents, emphasising his dedication to fulfilling this duty. He said:
<blockquote>
I accept this with a huge sense of responsibility and the agency of leadership in delivering quality service to the residents of our municipality reliably. Councillors are residents first before they are aldermen, and collectively we shall remain conscious of this and plan, implement and evaluate within the framework of this position.
</blockquote>
Maiko was first elected Mayor in 2018, but in March 2022 was recalled by the opposition MDC-T, led by <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/Douglas_Mwonzora">Douglas Mwonzora.</a> He is one of dozens of councillors and legislators who were recalled by the MDC-T since the <a href="https://news.pindula.co.zw/2020/04/02/full-supreme-court-ruling-on-mdc-leadership-crisis-case/">2020 Supreme Court ruling</a> on the MDC leadership crisis. 
In Chitungwiza, there are a total of 33 Councillors. Among them, 25 were elected as Ward councillors, while the remaining 8 were selected through proportional representation. ZANU PF has three councillors representing them in the municipality.
<h3><a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">More Pindula News</a></h3>

Councillor Lovemore Maiko Re-Elected As Mayor Of Chitungwiza Town

Zengeza West legislator <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/Job_Sikhala/">Job Sikhala</a> and Zengeza West councillor <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/Lovemore_Maiko/">Lovemore Maiko</a> recently denied a charge of disorderly conduct when they appeared for trial before Harare magistrate Yeukai Dzuda.
Police officer Keffus Kumurai and Zanu PF supporter Pardon Chitembwe were brought in as witnesses and testified that Sikhala and opposition supporters initiated violence against Zanu PF supporters. The witnesses claimed that a fight broke out between the two political parties and police had to intervene. 
Keffus Kumurai told the court that he was patrolling in Zengeza while a Zanu PF gathering was being held at the Zengeza 5 grounds. He said suddenly a white lorry appeared with 40 people, including Sikhala. He told the court:
<blockquote>
The people were in yellow coloured clothing.  I ordered them not to proceed to the Zanu PF gathering and Sikhala said they were doing a door-to-door campaign, which was not mandatory for them to notify the police.
They initiated violence led by Sikhala against Zanu PF supporters.
</blockquote>
Officer Kumurai testified that a fight broke out between the two political parties and police had to park their vehicles between the two political party camps. However, a statement produced in court by the same policeman claimed that supporters of both parties threw stones at each other. The police officer suggested that this may have been the result of a typing error.
Pardon Chitembwe claimed that the opposition supporters were carrying stones in the truck and that Lovemore Maiko was giving more stones to the youths to throw at them. Chitembwe also accused Job Sikhala of throwing a stone that hit one of their members, Shepard Tawodzera. Chitembwe stated that he is the secretary for security in the ruling party.
The trial is set to continue on June 15.
<h2><a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">More Pindula News</a></h2>

Police Officer, ZANU PF Supporter Testify In Sikhala, Maiko Disorderly Conduct Case

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.
More: <a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Job Sikhala In Court For "Throwing Stones At A ZANU PF Rally"

The Minister of Local Government and Public Works, <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/July_Moyo">July Moyo</a>, has suspended six <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/Chitungwiza">Chitungwiza</a> councillors including former mayor <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/Lovemore_Maiko">Lovemore Maiko</a> for convening an illegal meeting last week.
The suspended councillors are members of the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) party led by <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/Nelson_Chamisa">Nelson Chamisa</a>, a former minister of ICT, Postal and Courier Services during the <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/Government_of_National_Unity">Government of National Unity (GNU)</a>.
The Herald reports that during the alleged illegal meeting, Maiko was illegally re-elected mayor despite a pending court case.
Other councillors suspended are:
<blockquote>
i). Musa Makweza ward (19) – Former deputy mayor, 
ii). Kudakwashe Johns (ward 21), 
iii). Chengetai Nyagondo (ward 14), 
iv). Richard Chamutsa (ward 5) and 
v). Peter Matiringe (ward 10).
</blockquote>
According to the suspension letters, minister Moyo said there were reasonable grounds for suspecting that the councillors committed acts of gross misconduct, gross incompetence and wilful violation of the law.
Minister Moyo said the suspensions were in line with Section 114 (2) of the Urban Councils Act (Chapter 29:15) as amended by the Local Government Laws Amendment Act number 8 of 2016.
<h2><a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a></h2>

Local Government Minister Moyo Suspends 6 CCC Councillors In Chitungwiza

A video of suspected ZANU PF members pelting former Chitungwiza mayor and CCC member Lovemore Maiko with rocks has emerged on social media.
The video shows ZANU PF youths attacking Maiko using stones in Chitungwiza town, where he was recently elected a councillor.
Maiko was elected councillor for Ward 7, Chitungwiza Municipality in a by-election held on Saturday, 7 May 2022.
He garnered 975 votes against ZANU PF candidate Charamba Mlambo’s 394 votes and Bothwell Patsika of the MDC Alliance who won 22 votes.
Watch the video below [Note: viewer discretion is advised];
<div class="wp-video" style="width: 352px;">
<video class="wp-video-shortcode" controls="controls" height="640" id="video-232505-1" preload="metadata" width="352"><source src="https://t792ae.c2.acecdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Lovemore-Maiko.mp4?_=1" type="video/mp4"/><a href="https://t792ae.c2.acecdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Lovemore-Maiko.mp4">https://t792ae.c2.acecdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Lovemore-Maiko.mp4</a></video></div>
<h4>More: <a href="https://news.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a></h4>

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