Trial date for MLF leaders set for 7 February

THE three members of Mthwakazi Liberation Front (MLF), a pressure group-cum-political party calling for the separation of Matabeleland from the rest of the country, who are facing treason charges, were yesterday indicted for trial at the High Court on 7 February.

They were then immediately remanded in custody to 2 February. Their legal team approached the High Court seeking that their bail and other conditions stand so that they attend trial from their homes.

Charles Thomas (44), John Gazi (54) and Paul Siwela (49) were again not formally charged with  contravening Section 20 (1) (b) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, Chapter 9:23 (treason) when they briefly appeared before Bulawayo magistrate, Mr Tawanda Muchemwa.

They were out on $2 000 bail coupled with a number of other conditions that include travel restrictions.

On 1 March last year, the trio, in the company of seven others, who are still at large, held an executive meeting at Siwela's office at Number 3 Princess Court.

The State is alleging that at the meeting, they connived and agreed to distribute fliers which, among others, had the following messages: "Vukani njengabantu baseEthiopia, Sudan, Egypt leTunisia, ngabantu labo njengathi balegazi bo."

The State will seek to prove that they tried to influence people to demonstrate against the Government and advocate for a separate state of Mthwakazi.

The State alleges that on 3 March they went about distributing the fliers and some calendars.

The fliers were addressed to different groups in society like churches, non-governmental organisations, civil servants and political parties.

Advocate Lucas Nkomo instructed by Mr Sindiso Shepherd Mazibisa, of Cheda and Partners, Mr Robert Ndlovu, of R Ndlovu and Company and Mr Matshobana Ncube, of Phulu and Ncube is defending the trio.

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