BULAWAYO — The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) led by Welshman Ncube broke its silence yesterday and said they stood by their official, Insiza South Member of the House of Assembly Siyabonga Ncube, who stands accused of infecting a female journalist with HIV.
Ncube was arrested on Tuesday and will face two charges of contravening Section 79 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, Chapter 9; 23, which is deliberately infecting another person with HIV, and contravening a section of the Posts and Telecommunications Act, which is sending an abusive message.
The MP was yesterday brought to court, but was not placed on remand after the State said it was still working on the case.
The MP is denying the allegations and has in turn accused the journalist of seeking to “fix” him. The party’s secretary for media, information and publicity, Nhlanhla Dube, yesterday said the party believed in the MP’s innocence until the courts proved him guilty.
“The party has received the reports of the arrest of (Honourable) Siyabonga Ncube, who is scheduled to appear in court today (yesterday) facing allegations of infecting his former partner with HIV. As a party we believe in his innocence until the courts of law prove him guilty,” he said.
The journalist accusing the MP of deliberately infecting her with HIV has said the two started dating in August 2009 and had been intimate up to July last year when the relationship broke down.
Dube said his party hoped politics would not contaminate the court procedures.
“We do pray that politics will not blind the eyes of justice and prejudice our member of a fair trial. We wish to advise the public and interested groups to respect the innocence of Siyabonga Ncube until courts have dealt with this matter. We take the charges against him seriously and as a party we will monitor closely this case as it develops,” he said.
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The party’s spokesperson added that the MDC was committed to the fight against HIV.
“However, we would like to make it known that as a party we are committed to the fight against HIV and we strongly condemn any behaviour by anyone that may lead to the spread of the disease,” he said.
