Gweru provincial magistrate Miriam Banda yesterday remanded in custody Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) Chirumanzu South candidate Patrick Cheza and four other party activists on charges of politically motivated violence.
The five were not asked to plead and were remanded to Monday for bail application.
Allegations are that on May 31 at Rupepwe Primary School in Chirumanzu, Cheza (50), Tinashe Moyo (47), Elias Madhuveko (26), Tanyaradzwa Marimbe (23) and Alex Gamuchirai (37) assaulted Justice Dzaguma, a Zanu PF activist following a confrontation during a voter inspection exercise.
The accused also allegedly assaulted Nhamo Muzembi before robbing him of US$50, POSB bank card and a Zanu PF card.
It is also alleged that on the same date at around 11am at Mazvimba Primary School in Chirumanzu, the accused took an Itel cellphone from Philemon Madzivanyika and smashed it on the ground.
They allegedly damaged the phone pouch valued at US$3.
It is also alleged that on the day in question at Mazvimba Primary School, the accused took a counter book belonging to Julius Kunodziya and tore it.
The book was valued at US$1.
The state alleges that the five disturbed the voter inspection exercise at the school.
The accused are represented by human rights lawyer Martin Mureri.