An MDC-T activist in Mpopoma/Pelandaba constituency yesterday escaped jail by a whisker after he was fined $50 for removing a campaign poster for independent candidate for House of Assembly in the constituency, Samuel Sandla Khumalo.
Senior Court Reporter
Samuel Mlauzi (19) of Pelandaba pleaded not guilty to a charge of defacing or destroying campaign posters as defined by Section 152 of the Electoral Act, Chapter 02,23 by Bulawayo magistrate and Victor Mpofu at Western Commonage Magistrates’ Courts.
If Mlauzi had failed to pay the fine, he was going to spend 60 days in prison.
Prosecutor Sibusisiwe Dube told the court Khumalo put up his posters in Mpopoma/Pelandaba constituency ahead of the forthcoming July 31 elections.
One of the posters was placed at an electric pole near Mlauzi’s house.
However, on July 9 at around 11pm, Mlauzi removed the poster from the electric pole and destroyed it.
He was seen by Daniel Moyo and Silas Maphosa destroying the poster. Upon noticing that he had been spotted, Mlauzi threw away the poster and disappeared into the dark.
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The two witnesses, however, phoned and informed Khumalo who in turn made a police report, leading to Mlauzi’s arrest.
Mlauzi’s conviction came after another MDC-T supporter was remanded on Friday for assaulting a fellow party member for allegedly supporting Khumalo.
Khosana Mlotshwa (38), also of Pelandaba, was not asked to plead to assault when he appeared before magistrate Willard Maphios Moyo at the same courts.
He was remanded to today as the court is waiting for a medical report to commence trial.
He is accused of assaulting Eleck Siziba (59) for supporting Khumalo. Siziba sustained a swollen face.
Khumalo is standing as an independent after losing the primary elections to Bekithemba Nyathi.
He claimed the elections were rigged.
