Heads turned at the Harare court when Magistrate Collet Ncube let 35 political activists walk free! The bunch, including big-shot Senator Jameson Timba, got suspended sentences after a wild ride through the justice system.
These folks landed in hot water after throwing a shindig at Senator Timba's fancy Avondale house in June 2024. They said they were just marking the Day of the African Child, but the cops weren't buying it! The police rounded up 78 people at first, but that number dropped faster than a hot potato.
Talk about tough luck - these folks spent six whole months behind bars! The courts kept saying "no way" to bail three separate times. The case against them was built on their own words during questioning when they admitted they'd gotten together for the event.
Here's where it gets juicy! The judge could've thrown the book at them—the state wanted them locked up for a whopping 36 months! But Magistrate Ncube turned out to have a soft spot. The judge looked at their empty pockets and hungry families, plus the fact that they'd never been in trouble before.
The big fish in this pond, Senator Timba and his buddy Jason Kautsa, got two years hanging over their heads. The rest of the gang got different deals - some got fourteen months, others sixteen. But here's the kicker - nobody's going to jail unless they mess up again in the next five years!
The judge figured these folks had suffered enough after spending half a year in the slammer before their trial. Plus, with empty wallets and families to feed, more jail time would've been like kicking them when they were down.
The cops got some bruises during this whole mess, but nothing too serious. The judge thought about everything and decided to give everyone a second chance. But they better watch their step - one wrong move, and it's straight to the big house!
These folks landed in hot water after throwing a shindig at Senator Timba's fancy Avondale house in June 2024. They said they were just marking the Day of the African Child, but the cops weren't buying it! The police rounded up 78 people at first, but that number dropped faster than a hot potato.
Talk about tough luck - these folks spent six whole months behind bars! The courts kept saying "no way" to bail three separate times. The case against them was built on their own words during questioning when they admitted they'd gotten together for the event.
Here's where it gets juicy! The judge could've thrown the book at them—the state wanted them locked up for a whopping 36 months! But Magistrate Ncube turned out to have a soft spot. The judge looked at their empty pockets and hungry families, plus the fact that they'd never been in trouble before.
The big fish in this pond, Senator Timba and his buddy Jason Kautsa, got two years hanging over their heads. The rest of the gang got different deals - some got fourteen months, others sixteen. But here's the kicker - nobody's going to jail unless they mess up again in the next five years!
The judge figured these folks had suffered enough after spending half a year in the slammer before their trial. Plus, with empty wallets and families to feed, more jail time would've been like kicking them when they were down.
The cops got some bruises during this whole mess, but nothing too serious. The judge thought about everything and decided to give everyone a second chance. But they better watch their step - one wrong move, and it's straight to the big house!
