×
NewsDay

AMH is an independent media house free from political ties or outside influence. We have four newspapers: The Zimbabwe Independent, a business weekly published every Friday, The Standard, a weekly published every Sunday, and Southern and NewsDay, our daily newspapers. Each has an online edition.

Sikhala denied bail

News
BY MIRIAM MANGWAYA MDC ALLIANCE vice-chairperson Job Sikhala who is facing charges of communicating falsehoods, was yesterday denied bail. Sikhala appeared before Harare magistrate Ngoni Nduna, who said the MDC Alliance politician had boasted that he was arrested 65 times and hence exhibited “a propensity of repetitively” committing crimes. Through his lawyer Harrison Nkomo, Sikhala […]

BY MIRIAM MANGWAYA

MDC ALLIANCE vice-chairperson Job Sikhala who is facing charges of communicating falsehoods, was yesterday denied bail.

Sikhala appeared before Harare magistrate Ngoni Nduna, who said the MDC Alliance politician had boasted that he was arrested 65 times and hence exhibited “a propensity of repetitively” committing crimes.

Through his lawyer Harrison Nkomo, Sikhala had argued that the State’s case was weak since no violence ensued after he had written the Facebook post as alleged.

He denied accusations that he intended to destroy public confidence in the police when there was no mention of the police in the post that is alleged he posted.

He was remanded to February 19, 2021 for routine remand.

On another matter, MDC Alliance spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere was yesterday officially placed on remand on the same charges of communicating falsehoods after magistrate Trynos Wutawashe dismissed her application challenging placement on remand.

Mahere, through her lawyer David Drury, had argued that she was being charged under a law which was scrapped off, but Wutawashe ruled that the law still existed.

He said there was reasonable suspicion that Mahere had committed the offence because she had not denied that she posted that tweet, but she was arguing that it was not a criminal offence.

The State, led by prosecutor Charles Muchemwa yesterday opposed Mahere being granted bail on the basis that she was likely to abscond since she was facing a serious offence.

In challenging the opposition, Mahere argued that she cannot afford to ruin her flourishing carrier in law and abscond trial.

She was remanded to January 18, 2021 for ruling on her application.

l Follow Miriam on Twitter

@MangwayaMiriam