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Patrick Chitumba, Midlands Bureau Chief
KWEKWE deputy mayor, Councillor Aaron Sithole (69) and two other MDC-T members were arrested at the weekend for allegedly stoning a police water canon vehicle and a hardware shop during an unsanctioned demonstration that turned violent.

Clr Sithole together with a fellow councillor Weston Masiya (46) and an MDC-T activist employed by the city of Gweru, Tendai Virimai (31) appeared before Kwekwe resident magistrate, Mr Taurai Manwere, on Monday facing one count of public violence each.

Clr Sithole of Ward Six, Clr Masiya of Ward Three and Virimai were not asked to plead.

The trio was remanded out of custody on $200 bail to August 15 for trial.

Mr Manwere ordered them not to interfere with state witnesses, to continue residing at their addresses and to report to CID Kwekwe and Gweru once a week.

Prosecutor, Miss Chipo Hungwe, said on July 4, the accused persons accomplice, Moses Mashizha who is still at large submitted to the police an application to carry out a peaceful public demonstration on July 16.

The court heard that the application was turned down before their party MDC-T appealed to the High Court.

“On July 16 at around 8:30AM, the accused’s accomplices Mashizha, Blessing Chebundo, Sekai Marashe, Shadreck Tobaiwa and Tendai Kokera who are still at large approached the officer commanding police Kwekwe District enquiring the position of their application. They were advised to wait for the response from the High Court before they went away,” said Miss Hungwe.

She said on the same day at around 12 noon, the accused persons and their accomplices who are still at large marched into town.  They were spotted by police officers who were on patrol.

Miss Hungwe said the police informed them that the march was illegal.

“They were asked to disperse and instead of going away, they started throwing stones towards the police. Some of the stones hit the water cannon vehicle which sustained 11 dents and cracked the left passenger window pane.  The accused also smashed a window pane at PG hardware,” she said, adding that the total value of the property that was destroyed is $1,000.