STEPHEN CHADENGA
The case of three Gweru Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) activists charged with public violence was this Tuesday postponed to next month for continuation of trial after the prosecutor, Helen Khosa failed to appear in court due to other commitments.
Previously the matter had to be deferred five times after the last State witness failed to appear in court citing illness.
Gweru magistrate Miriam Banda postponed the matter to February 7.
John Kuka (38) who is CCC Mkoba constituency coordinating committee chairperson, Raphael Chipunza (51) and Simbarashe Kupfurutsa (31) are accused of allegedly storming losing Zanu PF Mkoba constituency candidate in the March by-elections William Gondo’s house before allegedly harassing his wife.
The State alleges that on March 24 at around 4pm the complainant Violet Gondo was at her home in Mkoba 2 in Gweru when the accused persons who were aboard an unmarked Ford Ranger vehicle in the company of a group of unknown people parked at the house.
It is alleged the trio were playing political songs campaigning for CCC Mkoba legislator Amos Chibaya when they stopped at Gondo’s house.
It is further alleged that while at the house a group of CCC activists including the accused disembarked from the car and threw their party fliers into Gondo’s yard.
The accused persons are alleged to have been part of unknown people who pulled down Violet’s market table at the gate.
An unknown person then produced a whip and assaulted one Gloria Madhlula on the legs.
When Madhlula phoned Gondo over the issue, the accused persons allegedly drove away at high speed.
Helen Khosa prosecuted.
