State says not ready for Chizuzu v Sibanda case

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Zim Now Writer

The court case in which sports journalist Hope Chizuzu is being sued by former sports administrator Omega Sibanda for publishing falsehoods failed to take off at the Tredgeold Magistrates' Courts in Bulawayo after the state said it is not yet ready.

Sibanda also indicated he has wishes to file more charges. His witnesses - Failton Kamambo, Phelimon Machana and Bryton Malandule - did not attend court, according to reports from Bulawayo.

“The prosecution said they're not ready to proceed with matter because the complainant, Sibanda, said he needs to press more charges, alleging the journalist has not stopped reporting and has been flooding the prosecution with printouts of The Page as evidence.

“But the matter before the court is that he claims The Page published falsehoods against him, invoking the Cyber Act,” Chizuzu said after the court appearance.

The Page is his FaceBook space which he uses to write opinions pertaining to developments within the sport of football.

The journalist’s defence lawyer, Nqobani Sithole, said he is surprised that the state who initially called for today as a court date are struggling to proceed.

"Once again the state has failed to have the matter heard. They're not ready, again. One wonders if that is not tantamount to frustrating the justice delivery system.

"They called us to court to defend the matter but here we are and they can't get themselves to appear.

"We will hear when they're ready for the matter to proceed but we are disappointed that my client has to endure the traveling for nothing.

"The state should just wait until they have everything they require for the case and not this," said Sithole.

Apart from having been the Zifa vice president in the Cuthbert Dube and Phillip Chiyangwa administrations, Sibanda is also the Member of Parliament for Vungu.