By A Correspondent- Opposition legislator Settlement Chikwinya who was facing charges of inciting public violence during the January 14 fuel protest has been acquitted.

The MDC revealed this in a statement and said:

“Hon. Settlement Chikwinya was today acquitted of trumped up charges of public violence.

However he remains on remand on the yet another set of fabricated charges of subversion.”

Chikwinya was among the many opposition stalwarts who were arrested and charged for inciting public violence in the country following reactions by the citizens to the fuel price increase announcement made by President Emmerson Mnangagwa in January 2019.

The MDC however condemned the arrests of its membership arguing that government was using the state apparatus to weaken the opposition and targeting its membership.

Said the MDC in a statement:

The MDC notes with concern the continuous harassment of party members by the ZANU PF government.

Today more leaders have been arrested on trumped up charges of inciting violence.

Hon Settlement Chikwinya was arrested today while a fast tracked trial has been suspiciously commenced against Hon Amos Chibaya and Hon Chiminya.

This conduct is unconstitutional, every citizen has the right to due process and a fair trial including adequate time to prepare a defense.

We have seen the past few days being dominated by cases of rushed convictions and some strange sentences following the convictions including a five year jail term for a cooked charge of violent conduct.

We urge the government to end persecution of MDC  members forthwith, all trumped up charges  must be dropped and investigations of killings must be instituted.

Then ploy to use trumped up charges as a tool to weaken the MDC will not work.”