The trial of five members of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) who are accused of insulting a rival party member Soneni Moyo and defacing her campaign posters kicked off on Friday with key state witnesses taking to the stand.
The five, Gift Ostallos Siziba, Enerst Rafamoyo, Tendai Masocha, Surrender Kapoikulu, and Simbarashe Dube appeared before Western Commonage magistrate Progress Murandu.
They are being represented by Tinashe Runganga of Tanaka Law Chambers.
Moyo was a double candidate in the Pelendaba-Tshabalala constituency elections which was won by Siziba.
According to the state, “On August 11, 2023, at around 6pm, the accused persons arrived at Moyo’s house in a motor vehicle. While at the gate the accused persons, and others still at large, shouted in the Ndebele language ‘uSoneni ungumthengisi uthunywe ngu President Mnangagwa ukuthi ayenze ukuchithiza abebandla le Citizen Coalition for Change, uli wule lakhe’ loosely translated to say ‘Soneni is a sell out, she was sent by President Mnangagwa to destroy and be a member of Citizens Coalition for Change, you are a prostitute.
Taking the stand under oath, Sibongile Ndlovu, Moyo’s neighbour, who is a key witness in the case accused the police officer who took her statement of not comprehending what she was saying due to failure to understand Ndebele language as he was a Shona.
Giving her testimony, Ndlovu said the vehicles were part of a convoy of CCC supporters who were on a campaign trail.
“The car which was leading was black in colour followed by others, upon arrival, they blocked Soneni Moyo’s residence. Others stopped on the road opposite my yard. There was a white van, white kombi and a Honda Fit belonging to Ernest Rafamoyo which was blue in colour and he was the one driving.”
Ndlovu said she spoke to Rafamoyo who invited her to a rally which was to be held the following day at Nkulumane terminus.
Ndlovu said she went closer to hear what they were saying and heard Siziba saying people should vote for him as Phelandaba-Tshabalala MP, not Soneni Moyo because she is a thief, a member of FAZ and prostitute for Mnangagwa.
She added that she asked the people in the white van whether what they were doing was legal, “they called me their cousin, in response I told them I was not their cousin, I then phoned Soneni.”
When Runganga asked how many times she called Soneni, Ndlovu first said once before changing her answer to two times as the first call was not audible.
Asked what was happening at the scene, Ndlovu said, “ Ostallos was standing by Soneni’s gate. Earnest was seated in his vehicle opposite my gate. Masotsha was dancing to the song and ululating, Kapoikulu was standing close to Ostallos when he was speaking while Dube was clapping for Ostallos in agreement.”
Ndlovu said she managed to take photographs but they were not brought before the courts hence they were dismissed as evidence.
Asked whether Soneni Moyo is her friend, Ndlovu denied however her statement in court showed that she had stated that they were friends.
Ndlovu also told the courts that the police officer did not read out the statement she had given out but was instructed to sign.
The court also heard that the third witness statement who is Soneni Moyo daughter said she heard them shouting ‘Usoneni lisela, uthengiwe, yigirlfriend kaMnangagwa and yimember ye FAZ which was not correspond with Ndlovu’s statement that they labelled Moyo a prostitute.
“It is possible that we heard different things,” she said.
Ndlovu also accused the police officer of not clearly stating whether Rafamoyo disembarked from the car or not.
The key witness could also not identify the accused persons by their names as she said she forgot the names of some accused members, “If you give me time I will remember them, I am struggling with names.”
The court also heard that the witness could not clearly identify what the accused persons were wearing.
Meanwhile, in giving her testimony, the complainant Soneni Moyo said Ndlovu called her once.
“Their offence is that they came to my house knowing that it’s not allowed,” she said.
The case was postponed to 17th November as the third witness, Moyo’s daughter, is writing her exams.
The other case to do with the destruction of Soneni’s campaign political posters was postponed to 1 November for allocation of a trial date.
