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They were each sentenced to six months in prison of which three months were suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour.
The remaining three months were suspended on condition that they each perform 105 hours of community service.
Before passing the sentence, Ms Fiona Ncube for the State urged the court to order them to clean the road. The court ordered them to do so yesterday.
The cleaning started at about 12.30 pm under the watchful eyes of detectives from the Law and Order Section but they ran out of the black paint before they had completed the exercise and the officers told them to make arrangements and bring the paint at 3pm to complete the job. The women initially tried to resist cleaning the graffiti stating that they wanted their lawyer, Mr Charles Paul Moyo, of Moyo and Nyoni Legal Practitioners to be present.
The detectives told them that the lawyer was aware of the court’s order and that it was not their duty to call him. Officers from the Bulawayo City Council were not present.
Violet Dube (36) and Vigilant Lunga (36) both of 59510/2 Iminyela were also ordered to clean the graffiti at the intersection of Nketa Drive and Khami Road but they did not turn up yesterday.
The court said they should clean the road before it passes sentence tomorrow.
The two had pleaded not guilty to the charge but were convicted by Mr Temba Chimiso sitting at the Western Commonage magistrates’ courts.
Mr Tony Kamudyariwa also applied that they be ordered to clean the graffiti.
On 2 July this year, at about 8pm, detectives were driving along Luveve Road from the city centre heading to Entumbane suburb when they observed Ottilia and Ngcebetsha writing graffiti near the Rio turn off in Matshobana suburb.
They stopped the vehicle in the middle of the road and the two women ran away.
Ngcebetsha ran and hid under a shrub.
They were later arrested and the detectives discovered that they inscribed statements which read “No to snap elections, Go and register to vote and Fire Chihuri among others” using yellow paint.
On the same day Violet and Lunga were arrested at the intersection of Nketa Drive and Khami Road where they inscribed “Devolution of power” using yellow paint as well.
Meanwhile, a handful of members of Women and Men of Zimbabwe yesterday held a demonstration outside Chronicle offices.
The crowd was carrying placards written “Devolution for Development, no to a snap election” among others. The group dumped their placards at the offices before dispersing.
Online Reporter