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Peter Matika, Chronicle Reporter

A MEMBER of the neighbourhood watch committee who is alleged to have played a major role in the January demonstrations in Bulawayo has had a warrant of arrest opened against him after he reportedly skipped bail.

The protests that were organized by the opposition, MDC Alliance saw companies and individuals lose their properties to the marauding demonstrators.

Ordinary businesses became the biggest targets of attacks, resulting in the loss of goods, income, jobs and shops which were vandalised

Numerous individuals were arrested and convicted for their role in the protests with some escaping to neighbouring South Africa fearing arrest for the roles they played in the protest.

In the latest developments, one of the demonstrators, Fundisani Mlilo, who is a member of the neighbour hood watch committee in Bulawayo is said to have skipped bail following his arrest on charges of Public Violence and Inciting Public Violence.

“Mlilo was arrested among a group of demonstrators, we suspect he was using his position of being a neighbourhood watch committee member to protect his accomplices. Our investigations revealed that he was however one of the leaders as he has close ties to the organisers of the demonstrations,” said a police source.

Mlilo had reportedly being granted bail when he skipped bail, with his close colleagues saying he had felt disgruntled as he had not been directly involved in the demonstrations.

“He told us that he was merely protecting innocent people who were being arrested by the police but instead he had been picked as one of the demonstrators. His fear was that he was going to be prosecuted for a crime he did not commit,” said Mlilo’s relative who declined to be named.