Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) chairperson Priscilla Chigumba failed to avail herself before the Harare Magistrates Court today for the trial of Night Tawona Shadaya where she is the complainant in the matter despite police’s efforts to furnish her with court papers.
According to the state, Chigumba failed to come because the police could not give her court papers, pleading to be granted a further postponement of the matter.
But Shadaya’s lawyer, Noble Chinhanu of the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) opposed the application proposing that the accused be removed from remand.
Harare Magistrate Rumbidzai Mugwagwa ruled in favour of Shadaya urging the state to proceed by way of summons once they put their house in order.
In an interview with 263Chat, Chinhanu said;
“We opposed to the state’s application since last time we notified the court that if the complainant fails to appear before court to stand as a witness, we cannot proceed but seeking that the accused should be removed from remand.
“The state has been making the same excuses and there is no guarantee that the complainant is going to avail herself before court. When the state is ready they should call us and we will be available.”
The accused was facing charges of criminal insult for creating a fake Chigumba Twitter account and posted a messages that reads, “I can’t wait for the elections fiasco to come to an end.”
