BULAWAYO magistrate Tinashe Tashaya yesterday issued an administrative warrant against MDC chairperson Thabitha Khumalo for failing to show up in court yesterday.

Khumalo (58), senator Helen Zivira Mpofu (44), Tendai Masotsha (45), Elliot Mujeri (34), Tinashe Matimbura (28), Meliqiniso Sithole (42) and Shelton Tembo (35) were supposed to appear before Tashaya yesterday, but the MDC chairperson was in no-show.

The seven are facing charges of publishing or communicating false statements prejudicial to the State and accusing President Emmerson Mnangangwa of stealing the July 2018 elections.

Tashaya ruled for an administrative warrant against Khumalo, advising her lawyers to make her come to court soon.

Her lawyer Godfrey Nyoni submitted that Khumalo had advised in the previous session that she would be travelling to South Africa and prayed for the setting aside of the warrant.

But Tashaya ruled that the warrant was effective.

The matter was remanded to October 4 and the seven are out of custody on $200 bail.

State representative, George Rufumoyo, said on August 17, the accused persons, acting in common purpose, went around Tshabalala and Nkulumane, Bulawayo distributing fliers titled Free Zimbabwe campaign.

He said the fliers, which were addressed to all Zimbabweans, falsely asserted that the 2018 harmonised elections were stolen.

The police charged them with contravening section 31 (b) (ii) (A) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act which speaks to “publishing or communicating false statements prejudicial to the State that (ii) he or she does not have reasonable grounds for believing to be true”.