By Staff Reporter
Outspoken Member of Parliament for Norton, Temba Mliswa who was yesterday arrested on charges of contravening Statutory (SI) 57 /2021 which prohibits public gatherings has been granted ZLW$20 000 bail by high court judge Justice Vongai Muchuchuti Guwuriro.
Mliswa was arrested at his Domboshava residence where he was addressing a press conference following his messy break-up with an Australian-based lover Susan Mutami.
Among some of his bail conditions, Mliswa has been ordered to report at Borrowdale Police Station once every Friday, he as been ordered to surrender his passport, not to interfere with witnesses as well as not convening any press conference until his case have been finalized by the courts.
Speaking after court proceedings, Mliswa’s lawyer Musindo Hungwe insisted that his client’s arrest is politically inspired meant to silence him.
“We are of the of the considered view that the arrest is more of a political gimmick more than anything else because the law is clear, the gathering in question falls within the parameters of permitted gatherings because it is a gathering of persons who are classified as essential service providers.
Hungwe promised to challenge the allegations being leveled against Mliswa the next time his client will appear in court.
“Today we thought of prioritizing my client’s liberty ahead of these other legal issues and it is going to be an issue for another day. We have placed the state on notice that on the next hearing we are going to be challenging his (Mliswa) continued placement on remand for the obvious reasons that we are of the considered view that the allegations are not only baseless and frivolous but are malicious”.
Themba Mliswa will reappear in court on the 4th of March 2021.
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