Innocent Sibonginkosi Ncube
Gift Banda, the former Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) Vice President and interim President, has been granted bail after being accused of forging a form four “O” Level certificate to qualify for the upcoming ZIFA elections.
In a sensational and passionate oral bail application, Banda’s lawyer, Everson Chatambudza, argued that his client is a good candidate for bail.
Chatambudza told the court that Banda had presented himself to the police after learning about the allegations on social media as such had no incentives to abscond as he has business entities and properties in the city.
“He has no intention to desert his family,”
Chatambudza pleaded, highlighting that Banda is a family man with nine children, several of whom are under the age of 18 and depend on him for their daily needs.
According to the court documents, presented by Milton Moyo, Banda requested his ordinary level results slip from Mpopoma High School for an examination he allegedly sat for in 1986.
The court heard that Banda went to Mpopoma High School and asked Acting Headmistress, Sihle Sibanda, for the confirmation of his slip but it could not be found.
Prosecutor Moyo further alleged that after a fortnight, Banda alerted Sibanda that he had found his slip, but however, investigations showed that the center and candidate numbers belonged to one Sino Gumbo not Banda.
Chatambudza came in to argued that the allegations are not serious enough for Banda to abscond and that the charge of forgery is incompetent.
He suggested that Banda should have been charged with fraud instead, pointing out that the forged “O” Level result slip was found with the school head, not with Banda himself.
Again, his client, Gift Banda, having forged the ‘O’ Level result slip, it is alleged, went to tender it at his former school.
“Why would a student leave the result slip at the school? It should be the other way around. He must have collected the slip from school, not leave it there.” Chatambudza argued.
“Further the slip was not found with the accused but with the school head.”
“There is no ID number to prove that it is this particular Gift Banda. The slip simply bares the name Gift Banda. I know more than ten Gift Bandas myself.”
Moreover, Chatambudza insinuated that there is politics at play, suggesting that Banda’s detractors competing with him for a position at ZIFA and are trying to prevent him from participating in the elections.
The State, led by Prosecutor Milton Moyo, did not oppose the bail application.
Magistrate Sibongile Msipa-Marondedze who presided over the matter granted Banda a US$500 bail, ordering him not to interfere with witnesses and to reside at his given address in Bulawayo.
Banda was accompanied by several members of the opposition party, including former deputy Mayor Alderman Mlandu Ncube, Tendai Masotsha and former MP Richard Moyo among others.
Banda was freed on bail and remanded to January 3, 2025.
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