ZIFA president Felton Kamambo, pictured, accused of vote buying to be elected into office in 2018, will have to wait for two more weeks to give his defence to the allegations.
The matter was yesterday postponed for the second time due to the presiding magistrate Bianca Makwande’s absence.
Yesterday, the matter was postponed to April 22 for the defence case after the court dismissed his application for discharge.
Kamambo is alleged to have sent mobile money to the Zifa councillors for their votes in an election he edged former Zifa president Philip Chiyangwa who is the complainant in the matter.
He denied the allegations saying the monies sent to the voters were reimbursements for transport, food and accommodation for attending his campaigns and has since filed for discharge at the close of the State’s case saying there is no case against him.
The court said through the payments and their timing which came days before the election and on election day, one would presume it was for Kamambo’s advantage.
The magistrate conceded that there is no evidence that the paid agents voted for Kamambo because the vote was a secret ballot but said the State had proved the essential elements of bribery.
Meanwhile, Norton parliamentarian Temba Mliswa accused of violating Covid-19 regulations by hosting a press conference at his Borrowdale home in Harare in February with 23 people including journalists will be back in court on April 25 for his defence case.
The matter was supposed to be heard yesterday but had to be postponed because of the absence of the magistrate Tafadzwa Miti for the second time and he could not resist but register his displeasure in coming to court without progress.
Mliswa applied for discharge at the close of the State’s case and the magistrate said he should be put to defence to explain the service he was giving on the day and the nature of information he was disseminating.
Mliswa believes his arrest is just harassment and intimidation aimed at silencing perceived political foes.
It is his argument that he was not at a public place and all the people who were at the presser were all essential service providers which is permitted by the law