HARARE magistrate Lanzini Ncube yesterday freed 51 Mabvuku residents who had been on trial since last year for allegedly participating in an anti-government protest.
By Court Reporter
The residents were arrested in July 2016 and charged with public violence when they staged a demonstration against police corruption. They were represented by lawyers Gift Mtisi and Kuzivakwashe Ngodza.
Ncube acquitted them for lack of evidence after the State failed to prove the essential elements of the charge.
The magistrate also ruled that there was no positive identification for the three accused persons who were named by witnesses during trial. Regarding the rest of the accused persons who were not named by any of the witnesses, magistrate Ncube ruled that no link was established among them and the charge of committing public violence.
