Kunaka denied bail over August violence

POLITICAL activist and National Patriotic Front (NPF) member Jim Kunaka was on Tuesday denied bail on allegations of trying to incite the public to engage in violence in August.

Kunaka was facing charges of incitement to participate in a gathering with intent to promote public violence, breach of Peace or biogotry and an alternative charge of incitement of gatherings of more than 50 people without permission and contravening the Public health (Covid-19 prevention, containment and treatment ).

The state led by Mr Lancelotte Mutsokoti was opposed to bail arguing that Kunaka was likely to abscond as he defaulted another pending case on August 7 in which he is facing charges of subverting a constitutionally elected Government.

He further submitted that since then Kunaka never bothered to attend court for default inquiry.

Harare Magistrate Mrs Judith Taruvinga denied Kunaka bail saying he demonstrated the propensity to abscond since he was on the run for f ive months.

The court heard that during the period extending from March 1 to July 30, Kunaka intending to persuade and induce other persons or realising that there was real risk or possibility that by such communication other persons may be persuaded or induced to engage in public violence or participate in a gathering that would disturb peace, posted a video on social media inciting people across the country to participate in illegal demonstrations on July 31 2020 .

In the video the accused said the following words: “Good evening Zimbabwe my name is Jim Kunaka, today I am in Rushinga, Mt Darwin. We were conducting our mobilisation for tomorrow’s demonstration, we have finished work here in Mt Darwin in Mashonaland Central Province. People have accepted, people have agreed with us that corruption has caused our suffering and hunger. People who are looting the national cake have left us with nothing to eat so we have agreed here in Mashonaland Central that people will come out to demonstrate in their numbers.”