Ugandan herbalist changes plea
Friday, February 20, 2015

Senior Magistrate Sijabuliso Siziba recorded the new plea entered by the accused, Martin Maiso, after facts of the matter were read to him.
“I will record a plea of not guilty in order for the state to prove that the accused is (either) a genuine herbalist or not,” said Siziba.
Instead, it has sparked a storm of accusations, denials, and unresolved questions about the influence of De Beers on the nation’s politics. Former president Mokgweetsi Masisi’s claims that the diamond giants bankrolled his removal to dodge taxes – and that the new Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) government watered down a favourable diamond deal – are explosive matters. But without evidence, they risk becoming a toxic distraction from...