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Prosper Dembedza
Court Correspondent
Harare magistrate Mr Dennis Mangosi has denied bail to four MDC Alliance activists who were arrested last week for chanting slogans at the Harare Magistrates Court.
Vimbai Tome (51), Kudakwashe Butau (30), Ngonidzashe Mupfumba (21) and Patrick Shumba (22) appeared before Mr Mangosi facing disorderly conduct charges.
In denying the quartet bail, Mr Mangosi said the State had a strong case against them since they were arrested at the crime scene.
He further said due to the fact that the State had a strong case against the accused, their chances of absconding were high.
According to the State, on Tuesday last week, Tome, Mupfumba, Shumba and Butau or one or more of them “intentionally engaged in a disorderly conduct by chanting a slogan ‘Ahoi maComrades Ahoi’ and during an attempt by the police to disperse them, Tome shouted “ndabatwa zamu” in a bid to distract police officers from dispersing them.
The state argues Tome made the distress call intending to breach peace.
The police then arrested the four at the Harare Magistrate’s Court as they dispersed the crowd gathered.
The crowd had gathered to show solidarity with MDC Alliance activist Makomborero Haruzivishe, who was being sentenced to 14 months for public violence.
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