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Senior Court Reporter

MDC-Alliance vice president, Job Sikhala, will spend more days in custody after High Court judge Justice Tawanda Chitapi yesterday set Monday for judgment on his bail appeal on allegations of publishing falsehoods on social media platforms after he falsely accused a police officer of beating to death a child with a baton in Harare.

Sikhala approached the High Court after Harare magistrate Mr Ngoni Nduna denied him bail after noting that he had committed a similar offence while on bail in another matter.

Mr Nduna said it was in the best interest of justice to keep Sikhala in custody to prevent him from further committing similar offences.

He said Sikhala had boasted during his bail application that he had been arrested 65 times since the year 2000 and had been granted bail at all times.

Mr Nduna said that alone proved Sikhala was inclined to continue committing offences, hence the need to keep him in custody pending his trial. Irked by Mr Nduna’s decision, Sikhala then approached the High Court, appealing against the ruling.

Sikhala allegedly posted on his Facebook account that: “This monstrosity in our country must end. People are already suffering through a myriad of problems and you just take a baton stick and kill a nine months’ child. We have reached a boiling point.”

The State alleges that by posting the statement, Sikhala intended to incite or promote public disorder and violence, thereby endangering public safety.

He is expected back at the Harare Magistrates’ Court on February 18 for his routine remand.

Hopewell Chin’ono

Meanwhile, political activist Hopewell Chin’ono was granted $20 000 by Justice Davison Foroma, on similar charges as Sikhala.

Chin’ono is alleged to have peddled falsehoods on social media regarding the same child.

MDC-Alliance spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere is also facing similar allegations and was released on $10 000 bail when she appeared before magistrate Mr Trynos Utahwashe.