Activists fined US$1 500 each

Village without notifying the police.
Moffat Cephas Ndou (54), Nephat Mdlongwa (42), Rodney Mbedzi (43), Kesani Khohomela and Murunwa Siphuma (65) were convicted of contravening Section 26:11 of the Public Order and Security Act (failure to comply with a prohibition order) or alternatively Section 25:5 of the same act (failure to give notice of a gathering).
Failure to pay the fine will see them spending six months in jail each.
Mr Winston Tshakalisa of Tshaka-lisa law firm represented the accused.
They pleaded not guilty when they appeared before magistrate Mr Carrington Karidzagundi.
Prosecutor Mr Muchiwande Sithole proved that on April 12 last year, Mbedzi told police of their intention to hold a rally at Swereki Business Centre on the 17th. He was told to seek authority from the police officer commanding Beitbridge District as required by the law.
The officer commanding Beitbridge turned the request down on the grounds that some of the meeting conveners had pending cases of public violence at the courts.
Despite the prohibition order, they proceeded to hold the rally at Mbedzi’s homestead on April 17. They had gathered a crowd of 250 people.
Police in the area got a tip-off and arrested the five conveners while the crowd was dispersed.