By A Correspondent | Today is the day jurors at the Old Bailey in London are expected to hand down their verdict on the case of the Zimbabwean activist William Chinyanga.
Chinyanga is on trial over allegations of making terrorist incitements following the events when he was personally threatened with military-level-violence by a UK based ZANU PF terrorist behind the 1 August and January crackdowns, 3 months running into the day when CCC President Nelson Chamisa had an ammunition attack against his crowd of supporters in Marondera on 1st December 2019.
The Prosecutors who in court utilized a short video circulated by ZANU PF activists which says Chamisa received just a fire cracker attack, charged Chinyanga over his live videos in which he complains over that attack, (as the prosecutors) said there was no evidence of live ammunition at all against Nelson Chamisa. Counts 2 to 4 relate to other statements Chinyanga made on Facebook live video shortly after the Marondera incident.
There was a pause towards the end of trial yesterday when ZimEye’s Simba Chikanza lifted his hand requesting permission for a 30 second window to show jurors his evidence of how Chinyanga is allegedly a victim of what he termed framing, after receiving direct personal-military-violence threats against his life, plus also, an announcement by the ZANU PF activist that British Police officers would be used to incriminate him.
During that moment, Chikanza freezed the whole court when he passed his statements saying the verdict should not be announced until the evidence is heard. He said he does not need 30 seconds to show this evidence to the court, having introduced himself as the publisher and journalist who police officers (who arrested the Defendant) have been avoiding for over a 2 year period. Last Wednesday, one of the offices a tall white British male had acknowledged receiving phone calls from Chikanza, and claimed he returned the calls but ‘ there was no voicemail facility,’ which Chikanza says is not possible because as he alleges, even his network can confirm his phone always as a voicemail facility enabled.
Chikanza afterwards submitted a written complaint to the court.
The verdict is expected by the end of day.