ZIMBABWEAN police have arrested two Harare residents for allegedly tearing some political campaign posters belonging to ZANU PF party leader Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Zimbabwe Republic Police officers on Monday 02 July 2018 arrested Peter Bizare aged 29 years and Tatenda Kamutungunde aged 25 years, who all reside in Epworth suburb located just outside Harare and charged them with destruction of political posters in contravention of section 152(1) of the Electoral Act Chapter 2:13.
According to prosecutors, Bizare and Kamutungunde allegedly pasted two political campaign posters bearing Zalerah Makari’s images on a tuckshop owned by Weston Mushangura, who is the complainant in the matter, without his consent. Makari is contesting as an aspiring legislator for the Epworth constituency and will face Earthrage Kureva of the MDC Alliance, Kudakwashe Damson of ZANU PF party among other contestants.
Prosecutors charged that during the process of putting up Makari’s campaign posters, the two Epworth residents, who are represented by Noble Chinhanu and Idirashe Chikomba of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, allegedly tore two of President Mnangagwa’s posters, which were also pasted on Mushangura’s tuckshop.
The duo is also facing another charge of assault as in defined in section 89(b) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Chapter 9:15.
Prosecutors claimed that Bizare and Kamutungunde teamed up with some unidentified Epworth residents, who are still at large to confront Mushangura and instilled fear in him, while one of the accused persons identified as Nicholas Bhizari and who is reportedly still at large held the tuckshop owner by the collar while his alleged accomplices shouted at him.
Bizare and Kamutungunde, who appeared in court on Tuesday 03 July 2018, were granted $20 bail by Harare Magistrate Rumbidzai Mugwagwa, who remanded the duo out of custody to 13 July 2018 for commencement of trial.
Source: Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights
