FORMER Binga North opposition Member of Parliament (MP) Prince Dubeko Sibanda was Saturday arrested at Beitbridge Border Post under yet unclear circumstances.
Citizens' Coalition for Change (CCC) senior official Gift Ostallos Siziba confirmed Sibanda's arrest.
"Honorable Prince Dubeko Sibanda has been arrested at the Beitbridge Border Post. The regime's persecution of individuals it deems enemies of Zanu-PF continues," said Siziba.
Ex-Cowdray Park CCC legislator, Pashor Raphael Sibanda also confirmed the development.
"Hon Prince Dubeko Sibanda has been arrested and detained this afternoon (Saturday) at Beitbridge Border Post. He is expected to be transferred to Harare, tomorrow morning. The arresting officers indicated that the order came from Harare, so that's where he will face the charges," he posted on social media.
Sources who spoke to NewZimbabwe.com suggested his arrest could be linked to a social media post in which he mocked Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, as the incoming chair of the SADC Troika on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, for allegedly receiving US$500 000 from President Emmerson Mnangagwa's government inorder to keep mum over the disputed 2023 presidential election results.
Prince Dubeko Sibanda was elected in the 2018 general election to represent Binga North constituency in the National Assembly as a member of the MDC Alliance.
He was recalled as an MP by MDC-T secretary general Douglas Mwonzora in October 2020 before joining the CCC and won the seat back in a by-election on March 26, 2022.
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He was re-elected the MP for Binga North in the 2023 general election but shortly afterwards, Sibanda and a group of CCC MPs were recalled by Sengezo Tshabangu, who claimed to be the interim secretary-general of the party.
He registered to stand in the by-election in his constituency scheduled for 9 December 9 last year but was barred from contesting by the Harare High Court.
Sibanda's arrest followed that of former Budiriro MP Costa Machingauta, who was arrested Thursday movie-style at his Harare home, and later arraigned before the court facing charges of inciting violence and disorderly conduct.
The former Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T) deputy youth chairman, who later joined Citizens' Coalition for Change (CCC), appeared in court Saturday and was remanded to Monday, August 19, for bail hearing.
According to the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) Machingauta is charged with offences relating to incitement to commit public violence as read with section 187 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act as read with section 36 of the same statute.
The ex-legislator will also answer to a charge of disorderly conduct as outlined in section 41(b) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.
Scant allegations are that Machingauta shared chats among CCC WhatsApp groups inciting members of those groups to commit acts of civil unrest.
