BY DESMOND CHINGARANDE
Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CiZC) chairperson Rashid Stuart Mahiya yesterday appeared in court for convening a meeting for members of Heal Zimbabwe Trust (HZT) and CiZC, where he allegedly incited them to engage in civil disobedience and passive resistance to the law.
Mahiya (44), who was represented by Tonderai Bhatasara, appeared before Harare magistrate Rumbidzai Mugwagwa, who remanded him in custody to March 12 pending an indict from the High Court.
Mugwagwa advised Mahiya to approach the High Court for bail in a case in which he is being accused of seeking to subvert a constitutional government.
The State alleges that from December 3 to 6 last year, Mahiya allegedly connived with his accomplices, who are still at large, and convened a meeting for members of HZT and CiZC at Wild Geese Conference Centre, Pomona.
The prosecution alleges that Mahiya addressed the meeting in his capacity as chairperson of CiZC.
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During the meeting, Mahiya allegedly incited members of the non-governmental organisations and the general populace of Zimbabwe to engage in acts of civil disobedience, passive resistance to law, public violence, hooliganism and rampant looting across the country.
Prosecutor Sebastian Mutizirwa alleges that as a result of Mahiya and his accomplices’ utterances, the public engaged in violence, wanton destruction of both government and private property and carried out rampant lootings across the country between January 14 and 16.
Following the chaos, Mahiya allegedly went into hiding until February 25 when he presented himself to the police in the company of his lawyer Bhatasara.