Jameson Timba, leader of a faction of the Citizens’ Coalition for Change (CCC), along with 34 party activists, received wholly suspended sentences on Wednesday, November 27, following their conviction for participating in an unlawful gathering. The group had spent over five months in detention.
Magistrate Collet Ncube handed Timba and fellow activist Jaison Kautsa two-year prison sentences, wholly suspended for five years, on the condition that they do not participate in any illegal gatherings with the intent to incite public violence.
Other male activists received suspended sentences of 16 months, while female activists were given 12 months, all suspended.
In his ruling, Ncube noted that many of the convicts were financially disadvantaged, with some being primary breadwinners and first-time offenders, making them deserving of a second chance. He emphasized that a suspended sentence was in the interest of justice, given their circumstances, and that continued detention would place undue hardship on their families.
Timba and 79 others were arrested at his Avondale home for allegedly holding an illegal gathering with the intent to incite public violence. However, the CCC maintained that the gathering was a commemoration of the Day of the African Child, observed on June 16.
In other news, The Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) has rejected a report from a local newspaper that alleged President Emmerson Mnangagwa is seeking to extend his term beyond 2028 by using unofficial structures outside the ZANU PF party.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the OPC called the article slanderous, accusing it of attempting to undermine national unity and tarnish the President’s reputation. The OPC gave the newspaper seven days to retract the story, warning that failure to do so would result in legal action.
The statement criticized the article for falsely suggesting that President Mnangagwa was trying to circumvent the Constitution by enlisting “parallel structures” to extend his presidency. The OPC further denied any internal divisions within ZANU PF or the security sector, as implied by the article
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