Online Reporter
Peter Matika
ALL eyes are on Bulawayo Magistrates Court today as businesswoman Sipho Mazibuko braces for judgment in her high-profile case over an illegal demonstration that shook the city last month.
Magistrate Takudzwa Gwazemba was supposed to hand down the ruling yesterday but postponed to today citing logistical hitches. The ruling is expected to bring closure to a dramatic case that has gripped the public.
Mazibuko, together with seven alleged accomplices that included Mr and Mrs Rural Zimbabwe title holders and their aides, was arrested on 24 July after staging an unsanctioned protest outside the courthouse.
Police swooped in and bundled the group into a van after warning them not to proceed with the demo.
The outspoken Mazibuko said she staged the protest to demand justice for a 16-year-old girl from Mabheleni Village in Mbembesi who was allegedly raped multiple times by her cross-border truck driver uncle.
Mazibuko claims the man abused his niece under the guise of offering “spiritual healing” to her ailing mother. The horror allegedly went on for weeks until a whistle-blower tipped her off in April.
In true undercover fashion, Mazibuko says she launched her own sting operation. Disguised as a wealthy businesswoman seeking transport to South Africa, she lured the suspect into a fake romantic relationship.
The man allegedly took the bait, sending her explicit messages that later became key evidence in his arrest.
Mazibuko also rallied to protect the survivor, ensuring the teen stayed in school and secured support at a new institution. Both the accused and his mother are in custody awaiting trial.
derick.khumalo