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Jabulani Sibanda

Harare Bureau
Former war veterans’ leader Jabulani Sibanda, who is accused of insulting President Mugabe,   has been given a longer remand period pending determination of his application at the Constitutional Court. On his initial appearance Sibanda, through his lawyer Sobusa Gula-Ndebele, successfully applied to have the case referred to the Constitutional Court after raising constitutional issues.

Gula-Ndebele insisted that the charge was ultra-vires Sibanda’s constitutional right to freedom of thought, opinion, religion and belief, among others.

Sibanda yesterday appeared before magistrate Milton Serima for his routine remand.

He was, however, given a longer remand period to May 29 after the State, led by Sharon Mashavira, told the court that they were still waiting for the outcome of his application at the Constitutional Court.

Sibanda successfully made an application for relaxation of his bail conditions particularly reporting conditions from reporting once a week to reporting once a fortnight.

Sibanda is being accused of contravening section 33 (2) (b) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Chapter 9:23.

It is alleged that on October 27 last year at Herbert Mine in Mutasa — Sibanda addressed an illegal gathering of war veterans.

The gathering was for the reburial of exhumed liberation war fighters’ bodies, despite the reburial being rescheduled to a later date by the Minister of Home Affairs Cde Kembo Mohadi.

Sibanda allegedly delivered a lengthy speech and said President Mugabe and First Lady Cde Grace Mugabe were plotting a “bedroom coup” to remove the then Vice-President Joice Mujuru.