The defence impressed upon the magistrate that if the State fails to provide witnesses to the case on 11 March, the two must be removed from remand so that the State proceeds with summons, if it so wishes. The magistrate agreed with the defence that if the State fails to provide witnesses, then the two MDC leaders will be removed from remand.
The defence lawyers also asked the matter to be put before a different magistrate on the grounds that the magistrate presiding over the case was not impartial.
The two MDC leaders are part of a huge contingent of party leaders and activists who are being persecuted through prosecution by the Mnangagwa regime.