Staff writer

Harare Magistrate, Mrs Gloria Takunda has slapped opposition principal and Vice Chairman of the MDC Party, Tendai Biti with a suspended six-month prison term for illegally announcing fake results for the 2018 harmonised elections.

The State was accusing former Finance Minister for contravening the Electoral Act and Magistrate Takunda ordered him to pay a $200 fine or risk going to jail for seven days.

The six-month prison sentence was wholly suspended for five years on condition that Biti does not commit a similar offence within that period.

In passing judgment, Ms Takunda said the State had managed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that Biti publicly declared MDC-Alliance candidate Mr Nelson Chamisa as the winner of last year’s presidential election before the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) made the official announcement.