A magistrates’ court in Zimbabwe on Friday set a trial date for three opposition leaders accused of plotting to assassinate President Robert Mugabe.
”The trial date as advised by the state will be on the 11th November,” magistrate Dominic Musawazi said.
Morgan Tsvangirai, the president of the Zimbabwe’s main opposition party, Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), faces the charges together with MDC secretary general Welshman Ncube and the party’s shadow agriculture minister, Renson Gasela.
The trial will be heard in the country’s High Court.
The charges against the three stem from video footage aired earlier this year that captured the them allegedly discussing Mugabe’s elimination with a former Israeli intelligence agent.
The lawyer representing the trio, who deny the charges, said the state had not consulted him over the setting of a trial date. He described the charges as ”politically-motivated”, which made it essential for the defence to have a say in setting the date to ensure a ”counsel of choice” was picked to represent the MDC leaders.
But state lawyer Stephen Musona said they ”did not break any law” in choosing the date.
The magistrate took note of their statements but upheld November 11 as the trial date. – Sapa-AFP