Bulawayo Bureau
CITIZENS Coalition for Change (CCC) legislatora for Pelandaba-Tshabalala Gift Ostallos Siziba has again had a brush with the law for allegedly defacing campaign posters belonging to a fellow CCC member.
Siziba, together with Bulawayo Central Member of Parliament Surrender Kapoikulu, ward 20 councillor Simbarashe Dube, former ward 20 councillor Enerst Rafamoyo, party members Lovewell Mwinde and Tendai Masocha appeared in court yesterday facing charges of defacing campaign posters for Ms Soneni Moyo and also insulting her.
Mr Denmark Chihombe, for the State, said on 16 August, the five went to Pelandaba shops where they defaced campaign posters for Ms Moyo and replaced them with Siziba’s posters.
They then went to Ms Moyo’s house and parked their vehicle outside her gate and started hurling insults at her, accusing her of being a sellout and a prostitute, the court heard.
The six were remanded out of custody on their own cognisance to 29 September.
They were represented by Mr Tinashe Runganga who requested an order to obtain a call history and location from Econet to ascertain Siziba’s whereabouts on 16 August.
The magistrate, Mr Progress Murandu, granted the order.
This is Siziba’s second arrest in a week after he was accused of inciting violence that rocked Barbourfields Stadium. The six join a number of CCC members who have been arrested for various allegations.
Recently, newly-elected Harare deputy mayor Kudzai Kadzombe was arrested for assaulting a Zanu PF member on election day.
CCC Member of Parliament for Churu Constituency Traswell Chikomo and the party’s aspiring councillor Cephas Mashayamombe last week appeared at the Mbare Magistrates Court on allegations of causing anarchy at an election command centre and threatening to kill the chief agent.
The matter was deferred to September 22 for trial commencement.
Another CCC legislator, this time Maureen Kademaunga for Harare Metropolitan’s Sunningdale Constituency, appeared in court together with two other opposition party officials on allegations of attempted murder and malicious damage to property after three people were attacked just before last month’s election and a vehicle burnt.
Kademaunga had the charges withdrawn after vetting found there was lack of incriminating evidence putting her in the violent gang, but her co-accused Clyde Mashozhera and Daundi Josseb remained in custody and will face trial on the charges while the police continue to seek other members of the gang.
CCC’s newly-elected councillor for Harare’s Ward 10, Clyde Mashozhera, is facing two counts of attempted murder and another one for malicious damage to property and was granted US$300 bail yesterday.
Harare magistrate Mrs Marehwanazvo Gofa remanded him to November 1.