Mahiya remanded

CRISIS Coalition in Zimbabwe chairperson Rashid Mahiya, who was on the run after allegedly inciting people against the Government appeared in court yesterday, after handing himself over to the police on Monday.

He is facing allegations of subverting a constitutionally-elected Government and was remanded in custody.

Mahiya (44) is said to have been one of the masterminds of violent protests that rocked the country last month and left a trail of destruction.

Magistrate Mrs Rumbidzai Mugwagwa remanded him in custody to March 12 with instructions to approach the High Court for bail since he is facing a third schedule offence.

Prosecutor Mr Shepherd Makonde alleged that between December 3 and 6 last year, Mahiya and his alleged accomplices who are still at large convened a meeting at Wild Geese Conference Centre, Harare.

Mahiya, the court heard, addressed members of Heal Zimbabwe Trust in Partnership with Inter-peace of Switzerland.

During the meeting, Mahiya incited members of the non-governmental organisations and the general populace to subvert the constitutionally-elected Government.

He allegedly urged Zimbabweans to engage in acts of civil disobedience, public violence, hooliganism and rampant looting across the country.

It is the State’s case that as a result of his utterances, and that of his accomplices, the public engaged in acts of violence, damaged Government and private property.