A HARARE court ruled on Friday that opposition leader Jameson Timba and 34 people in prison since their arrest at his home more than five months ago were guilty of unlawful gathering.
Timba, an interim leader of one of the factions of the Citizens’ Coalition for Change (CCC), was arrested on June 16 with nearly 80 other people.
He and around 65 others from the original group were acquitted of a charge of disorderly conduct in September.
On the outstanding charge of participating in an unlawful gathering with intent to commit public violence, magistrate Collet Ncube found Timba and 34 others guilty. “This court is of the view that this gathering could have caused a breach of peace,” Ncube said.
“It is for that reason that police officers were alerted to maintain peace.” Timba and the others who were found guilty await sentencing. The magistrate said those who were acquitted were found to have not been in the house, but near it. —News24