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Leonard Ncube Victoria Falls Reporter
POLICE have arrested a Pentecostal church pastor after he staged a one man demonstration against Zanu-PF during the party’s just-ended conference here.
Patrick Mugadza, 45, of little known Remnant Church, travelled all the way from Kariba to Victoria Falls to stage the solo demonstration against the party on Friday, when the conference was officially opened.
Mugadza of Makondo Drive, Breeze in Kariba was immediately arrested.
He appeared before Victoria Falls resident magistrate Lindiwe Maphosa on Tuesday facing a criminal nuisance charge.
He was remand to Janaury 5 on $500 bail.
The other bail conditions include residing at his given address, reporting at the nearest police station in Kariba on Mondays, not to interfere with witnesses and to surrender travel documents.
Mugadza, who is being represented by Thulani Nkala of Dube and Company was not asked to plead.
Nkala had initially applied for refusal of remand saying there was no basis to prosecute his client because he was exercising his constitutional right.
Maphosa dismissed the application saying as much as it is a constitutional right to demonstrate, that right must not be seen to infringe on other people’s.
Prosecuting Listen Nare said investigations were still underway as witnesses’ statements were yet to be recorded.
Allegations against Mugadza are that on Friday at 4PM opposite Bata Building in Victoria Falls, he walked along the street with a placard thereby disturbing the movement of people who were going to the Zanu-PF conference.
The placard had a message: “Mr President the people are suffering, Proverbs 21:13.”
The State alleges that Mugadza’s actions disturbed the free movement of members of the public.
Online Reporter
derick.khumalo