BY STEPHEN CHADENGA
Chiwundura MP Livingstone Chimina (MDC Alliance) was last Friday acquitted on charges of inciting violence.
Gweru provincial magistrate Charity Maphosa ruled that the State had failed to provide enough evidence to prove claims that Chimina incited opposition supporters to participate in violent anti-government protests in January this year.
Chimina’s lawyer, Brian Dube, had argued that the State failed to prove a prima facie case against his client.
Dube also submitted that Chimina was facing trumped-up charges, which he said were politically driven.
Allegations were that Chimina incited and led protesters in the January 14-16 demonstrations against fuel price hikes.
The State’s case was that on January 15 at around 10am, Chimina led protesters to Mkoba 5 turn-off and barricaded the road leading to the city centre using stones, logs and burning tyres.
Chimina, however, denied the charges, saying he was at his house in Mkoba 14 at the time the alleged offence was committed.
