Gweru provincial magistrate Charity Maphosa on Tuesday
acquitted MDC youth leader and Highfield West legislator, Happymore Chidziva,
who was being accused of inciting violence in the run-up to last year’s
elections.
In acquitting Chidziva, Maphosa ruled that the State had
failed to provide enough evidence to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt.
In their submissions last week, Chidziva’s lawyers,
Jeremiah Bhamu and Brian Dube, indicated that they were making an application
for discharge because the State had failed to prove a prima facie case against
their client.
Chidziva had been charged with inciting violence after he
allegedly threatened President Emmerson Mnangagwa and the Zimbabwe Electoral
Commission (Zec) with unspecified action at a rally at Mkoba Stadium ahead of
last year’s July 30 polls.
Allegations against Chidziva were that on July 22 last
year, at a rally in Mkoba, Gweru, he warned then Zanu PF presidential
candidate, Mnangagwa and Zec of dire consequences if election results did not favour
MDC Alliance presidential candidate, Nelson Chamisa.
Chamisa eventually lost the polls to Mnangagwa as well as
an appeal at the Constitutional Court.
Meanwhile, Maphosa remanded to February 27 and March 5,
respectively, two cases in which Chiwundura MP Livingstone Chimina (MDC
Alliance) is facing two separate charges of inciting violence in the January
protests over fuel price increases and the country’s deteriorating economic
situation.
Chimina was remanded in custody. Newsday
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