Mthwakazi Leaders Treason Case Postponed

The three MLF senior executive members Paul Siwela, John Gazi and Charles Gumbo were arrested on Friday in different locations in Bulawayo and were charged with treason after found distributing party flyers.

On Tuesday a refusal of remand hearing began after their defence team led by Advocate Lucas Nkomo made an application for bail before regional magistrate John Masimba.

On Wednesday the state brought three police officers from the Bulawayo Central police station’s Law and Order Section to testify, but only two managed to give evidence in court after the defence team objected against the third police officer to testify which led to the adjournment of hearing.

“Your worship we are objecting to the state’s idea of bringing Detective Sergeant George Ngwenya to testify in this court, as he was seated in this court and listening when the proceedings in this hearing began yesterday,” said Nkomo.

Magistrate Masimba then called both the defence team and state into chambers before adjourning the case to Thursday.

Two other police officers who testified were Constable Patrice Nyanhete and Constable Alois Chidhakwa who got the court into stitches when he said he did not know the real reason why he arrested Gumbo.

The three MLF leaders were remanded in custody and sent back to Khami Maximum Remand prison.

The militant and radical MLF was launched in January this year and is advocating for the independence of the Matabeleland region located in the southern part of Zimbabwe saying the Ndebele speaking people of have been marginalized by the government for too long and also face discrimination every day at work places and tertiary institutions.

The call for Matabeleland secession from Zimbabwe appeared to have been encouraged by events in South Sudan where people there voted overwhelmingly to break away from mainland Sudan in a referendum.