Messages From Zimbabwe

MDC Member of Parliament for Masvingo West, Hon. Tachiona Mharadza has been detained by police in Masvingo on trumped up charges of waving a gun and disrupting a ZANU PF meeting at ward 14 Zano in Masvingo North. Hon Mharadza was today picked up at his home in Masvingo at around 3pm and is still detained by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of Masvingo.

According to the police, Hon Mharadza disrupted a ZANU PF meeting after waving a gun towards the gathering. Masvingo provincial chairman, Wilsatff Sitemere has however denied the charges against Hon. Mharadza.

According to Stemere, there was an MDC meeting held at Zano yesterday when ZANU PF youths converged at the meeting making noise and claiming that the gathering was a ZANU PF gathering leading to a scuffle between them and MDC youths.

ZANU PF youths however were quick to report on the case leading to the arrest of Hon. Mharadza who was nowhere near the district.

(Source: via email)

Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku is tomorrow expected to decide on the application by the Attorney General (AG) seeking permission to appeal against the acquittal of Roy Bennett, the deputy minister of agriculture designate and MDC-T treasurer general.

Bennett, the MDC-T treasurer general was in May acquitted of charges of attempting to overthrow President Robert Mugabe.

High Court judge, Justice Chinembiri Bhunu ruled that the state failed to prove a prima facie case against Bennett during his high profile trial.

Trust Maanda, one of Bennett’s lawyers, said the Supreme Court was expected to decide on whether the AG should be allowed permission to appeal against Bennett’s acquittal or not.

Bennett was appointed deputy minister of agriculture-designate by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, but President Robert Mugabe refused to swear him until he was cleared on charges of treason, banditry and terrorism.

Although Bennett was acquitted, he is still to be sworn-in. Acquitting Bennett, Bhunu ruled that evidence by the state’s key witness and arms dealer Peter Michael Hitschmann was inadmissible.

Hitschmann practically ruined the state’s case when he said statements extracted from him while in custody were uttered under duress.

He was declared a hostile witness. Bhunu ruled the prosecution failed to prove that e-mails allegedly linking Bennett to the arms dealer were genuine. Bennett was arrested on February 13, 2009, the day ministers in the delicate unity government were sworn in.

The Bennett issue has rocked the unity government since its inception and is one of the long- standing sticking points bedevilling the coalition.

(Source)

Police Commissioner-General Augustine Chihuri has been sensationally implicated in the theft of a generator as the saga involving businessman and ZANU PF member Temba Mliswa took a dramatic twist at the Harare magistrates’ court Tuesday.

Mliswa was in court for a bail hearing facing fresh charges of stealing six generators from white farmers in Karoi between 2002 and 2003. Magistrate Don Ndirowei will deliver judgement Wednesday afternoon.

Prosecutors and members of the public were stunned when during cross examination Mliswa said three of the generators were sold to Chihuri, former ZANU PF Mashonaland East provincial chairman Paddy Zhanda and to a company owned by the Commander Defence Forces, General Constantine Chiwenga.

Mliswa said Chiwenga’s wife Jocelyn paid for the generator.

Legal observers said the revelations will give a new twist to the saga given that it is a crime to receive stolen property. The allegations by Mliswa also come against the background that he is accusing Chihuri of persecuting him over a civil matter.

Asked by prosecutor Phyllis Zvenyika where he had sold the generators to, Mliswa said: “I sold one to company owned by general Chiwenga and another to Paddy Zhanda,” said Mliswa with a straight face.

“I am told one of them was brought by the police commissioner general. The sales were done by my company Worldmark Sports International and the guy who did the transaction says it was bought by the police commissioner,” said Mliswa.

He explained that the company was in the business of buying and selling farming equipment.

Mliswa’s case has taken a political twist which has left President Robert Mugabe’s ZANU PF split.

Two weeks ago, Mugabe’s confidante and Presidential Affairs minister, Didymus Mutasa told the Daily News that Chihuri was abusing state machinery to settle personal scores.

He said Mliswa and Chihuri had clashed over ownership of a company.

In recent weeks, Mliswa has accused the Zimbabwean police chief of perpetrating human rights abuses.

Mliswa has in recent weeks, accused Chihuri of using police apparatus to hound him out of a vehicles repairs company - Noshio Motors - in which he is entangled in an ownership dispute with co-owner, Paul Westwood.

The free speaking former fitness trainer has been granted bail twice before and on each occasion police have moved in to arrest him and press new charges.

The case has also opened a can of worms as displaced white farmers are now demanding the arrest of top ZANU PF officials including some in the presidium to be arrested for looting their property during the violent and bloody invasions. They also want to recover the looted property.

The Commercial Farmers Union (CFU) says Mliswa’s case is not isolated as their property was looted in the same way by politicians throughout the country.
In court yesterday, Mliswa denied stealing the generators saying he bought them.

His lawyer Charles Chinyama produced agreements of sale that were signed during the time but the state insists that they were signed under duress.

Mliswa told the court that he was wondering who the complainant was in his case as the two white farmers in question had long relocated.

“The million dollar question is who the complainant is. I’m told the white farmers who sold me the generators moved to Iraq a long time ago.” said Mliswa.

(Source)

ZANU PF businessman Themba Mliswa was on Wednesday charged with fraudulently acquiring properties worth US$25 million from two white farmers after allegedly lying to them he could prevent their land from being acquired for resettlement.

A bail hearing is expected on Thursday but the state has indicated it will oppose the application insisting Mliswa could interfere with witnesses some of whom are yet to be located.

The state, according to court papers, will also argue that Mliswa is facing serous allegations and “chances of him escaping to neighbouring countries are high since he has associates in those countries (and) has means to start a new life anywhere else”.

In the first case prosecutors allege Mliswa approached Karoi farmer Petros Jacobs Van De Merwe whose land was gazetted for acquisition in June 2004 and offered to help the farmer auction his equipment.

Van De Merwe had been given until October of the same year to wind down his operations but Mliswa claimed authorities would not allow him to sell his equipment.

The state claims Mliswa - a member of ZANU PF and vice president of the Affirmative Action Group - then told the farmer he was connected to influential people and could help dispose of the equipment for a 10 percent commission.

Prosecutors allege Mliswa sold the property which included a 104 herd of cattle, heavy vehicles, tractors and other equipment, altogether valued at US$3.6 million then converted the proceeds to his own use.

In the second case prosecutors accuse Mliswa of approaching Kwekwe farmer, Nico Van Rensburg whose farm had also been gazetted for acquisition and offered to “protect” him.

The farmer was made to sign an agreement which claimed the property had been sold to Mliswa in the vain hope this would stave-off acquisition.

“After conclusion of this purported agreement (Mliswa) then took 3000 herd of cattle worth US$900000 and farm equipment that included bulldozers, tractors, lorries, graders pick up trucks all valued at US$20000000.

“The farmer later realised that he had been duped after Mliswa later claimed ownership of the said property on the strength of the said agreement,” prosecutors said.

Mliswa was also arrested last week on charges of fraudulently acquiring shares in a Harare business in a case that sucked in Presidential Affairs Minister Didymus Mutasa - to whom he is related - and co-Home Affairs Minister, Theresa Makone.

He was jointly charged with Mutasa’s son Martin and police accused the two ministers of trying to intimidate officers into releasing them from custody.

The ministers denied the charges.

Meanwhile police also said they are preparing 40 new cases against Mliswa.

Asked by the businessman’s lawyers why the cases had taken long to come to court, prosecutors said Mliswa intimidated investigating officers and claimed he was untouchable because of his political connections.

(Source)

Troubled ZANU PF official and businessman Temba Mliswa tasted freedom for a few minutes before he was arrested again by police from the dreaded CID Homicide Section and is being investigated for an alleged fraud committed in 2005.

The never ending Mliswa saga is taking twists and turns amid revelations police commissioner Augustine Chihuri is out to fix the controversial politician over a vehicle repairs company deal which went sour.

Mliswa, who at the weekend attacked Chihuri accusing him of being corrupt, is locked in a shareholding dispute with businessman Paul Westwood over Noshio Motors.

Mliswa says Chihuri is corruptly involved with Westwood and wants to keep him incarcerated for as long as possible.

Last week, Mliswa was granted bail by a magistrate court but the state invoked the draconian Section 121 of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act which was supposed to keep him in remand prison for at least seven days while the state considered appealing.

But the Attorney General’s office decided against appealing meaning Mliswa had to be released but the police moved in to arrest him at Harare remand prison soon after he had returned from Mbare police station where he had been detained since Friday after being snatched by police from prison.

A family member who spoke to Radio VOP on Monday said Mliswa is being held at Rhodesville police station.

“The state felt the case was more of a civil matter than criminal and decided against appealing meaning Temba had to be released. All the documentation had been done and he was on his way home when police swiftly moved in to arrest him.

“It’s not clear what charge he is facing this time but we understand that they were questioning him in connection with a fraud they said he masterminded in 2005 and it involves Wedzera Service Station at his farm.

“When they seized him from prison on Friday, they tried to link him with a homicide crime but failed. We are being told that they are getting orders from Chihuri to make sure he stays detained as long as possible. It’s now becoming ridiculous and laughable. We now understand why human rights groups complain so much about individuals in the police who abuse their power,” said the Mliswa family member.

Mliswa’s case has torched a storm in government with police last week accusing the minister of presidential affairs Didymus Mutasa and co-minister of home affairs Theresa Makone of trying to intimidate officers to release Mliswa and his co-accused Martin Mutasa who is minister Mutasa’s son.

But Mutasa his furiously hit back accusing Chihuri of using state apparatus to pursue personal issues and likened such abuse of office as that witnessed in Rhodesia.

Makone is said to have gone to the police station where the three were detained to investigate claims that Chihuri was indeed pursuing a personal matter using police. She was wanted to get the side of the suspects.

(Source)

Incarcerated ZANU PF official and businessman, Temba Mliswa was snatched from remand prison by police officers from the feared CID Homicide section on Friday evening and interrogated on a number of fresh accusations before being detained at Mbare Police Station.

Mliswa was on Thursday granted bail in a case he is accused of fraudulently acquiring shares from a vehicles repairs company but the state evoked the notorious Section 121 of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act, which suspended the ruling by the magistrate.

He is therefore supposed to stay in remand prison for seven days while the state considers appealing against the granting of bail.

Just a day after he was sent to remand prison and in typical style, police went to prison in darkness and took Mliswa away saying they wanted to interrogate him on fresh charges.

Mliswa’s arrest has caused a storm in government with two ministers Theresa Makone and Didymus Mutasa coming under attack from police who are accusing the duo of intimidating them to release Mliswa who is also a nephew of Mutasa.

The former fitness trainer claims he is being victimised by police commissioner Augustine Chihuri whom he says is corruptly conniving with one Paul Westwood who owns 50 percent shares in the disputed Noshio Motors Company.

Mliswa is accused of fraudulently acquiring the other 50 percent stake in the company and according to court papers, he bought the shares from Hammerskjold Banda who was in partnership with Westwood.

Westwood, believed to be a close associate of Chihuri, is now arguing that Mliswa’s acquisition of the shares from Banda was fraudulently done and reported the matter to the police.

Said a close family member of Mliswa: “Police went to the remand prison and took him away for further questioning. Actually it turns out that they want to press more charges with the intention of making sure he suffers in jail all for linking Chihuri with corruption.

“They are now looking at the violence that happened during the farm invasions and other makeshift cases. He was questioned for long periods over different cases and was detained at Mbare Police Station.

“These ZANU PF people are now realising that these draconian laws can also be used against them. They now understand how brutal the regime is.”

Mutasa has meanwhile furiously refuted reports that he wanted to influence police officers to release Mliswa saying he only went there to see his son – Martin Mutasa – who was also arrested together with Mliswa.

Mutasa is arguing that Chihuri is abusing the system and his powers to pursue a personal civil matter through criminalising a civil matter.

He said police were now using the same tactics used by Ian Smith to brutalise freedom fighters.

(Source)

Zimbabwe police accused two ministers of obstructing justice by trying to release three men charged with pressuring a white businessman to surrender part of his company to them, a spokesman said on Friday.

One of the ministers is an ally of President Robert Mugabe, who has been trying to force foreign-owned companies, including mines and banks, to sell majority shares to local blacks. Critics said this will further damage a staggering economy battling to recover from a decade-long crisis.

Minister of State for Presidential Affairs Didymus Mutasa visited two police stations in Harare this week demanding the release of his son, who had been arrested with two other men, a police spokesman said.

Mutasa went to the stations with Home Affairs Minister Theresa Makone, who is in charge of the police, the spokesman said.

Makone is a senior figure from Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), which formed a unity government with Mugabe’s ZANU-PF party more than a year ago to try to end a decade-long political and economic crisis.

In a statement in the state Herald newspaper, Senior Assistant Commissioner Wayne Bvudzijena said the two ministers had sought to obstruct justice — but he did not say whether they would face charges.

“The ministers sought to protect (an) accused person facing charges of wantonly seizing property outside the law and threatening others,” he said.

A Harare magistrate court granted the three accused men bail on Thursday but they remain in police custody after the state appealed against their release.

Mutasa and Makone were not available for immediate comment.

(Source)

The vuvuzela, probably the issue that the World Cup in South Africa will be best remembered for, has had its first reported involvement in serious violence.

The incident happened in neighbouring Zimbabwe, where three teenagers are facing charges of assault in a dispute over the ownership of a vuvuzela, during which the victim lost an eye.

The trio attacked the unnamed victim in the western city of Bulawayo when when he claimed the cheap plastic horn was his, the state-controlled daily Herald newspaper reported Thursday.

Bulawayo magistrates court heard that the three wrestled with the man for the instrument, gave him a kick in the chest that sent him sprawling on the ground, where they continued to kick him.

The victim was taken to hospital with a badly swollen eye which had to be removed, the newspaper said.

The monotonous blare of the instrument drowning out virtually all other sound, including warnings from referees to players on the field, has roused demands for its banning.

(Source)

A Bindura Magistrate has removed Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) deputy organizing secretary Morgan Komichi from remand, who was facing charges of insulting and undermining the authority of President Robert Mugabe.

Komichi was hauled before the courts last month on charges of undermining the authority of or insulting President Mugabe after he allegedly sang a song with the lyrics: “Chimurume chagire chandifungisa dhongi rangu rakafa kare kare,” which the police construed to mean “Grace’s husband reminds me of my donkey which died long long back referring to His Excellence (sic) President Robert Gabriel Mugabe who is husband of the first Lady Comrade Grace Mugabe”.

Police allege that Komichi sang the “insulting” song when he addressed a rally at Chiwaridzo Shopping Centre in Bindura in January.

But Komichi was removed from remand Monday after prominent human rights lawyer Alec Muchadehama applied for refusal to place the non-constituency Senator on remand on the basis that the facts submitted by the State did not disclose any reasonable grounds that he committed an offence.

Muchadehama told Radio VOP that the Magistrate who presided over the case removed his client from remand after ruling that the facts as alleged by the State did not constitute an offence.

“The Magistrate said Komichi did not say the alleged words. The Magistrate said it was an insinuation by the State. She said the facts were so vague and hence Komichi can not be placed on remand,” said Muchadehama.

In January prosecutor in Mutare postponed the trial of Nyanga North legislator Douglas Mwonzora, who had been arraigned before the courts on allegations that he called the octogenarian leader a “goblin” at a rally he addressed at Ruwangwe Growth Point in Nyanga North constituency on 21 March 2009.

Another MDC senior official, Makoni South Member of Parliament Pishai Muchauraya, was also last week hauled to court on allegations of insulting Mugabe when he addressed a rally in 2006 and called him an old leader who was suffering from diarrhoea.

(Source)

One of the seven men, who allegedly plotted a coup to topple Robert Mugabe and replacing him with Defence Minister Emerson Mnangagwa in 2006, reportedly attempted to escape from the country’s Maximum security prison on Monday where he and five others have been detained since May 2007.

Sources within the prison service said Albert Matapo that the ex-army captain had been found in possession of a hammer, a number of hacksaw blades with one frame, glass cutters and a rope estimated to be fifteen meters long in his Chikurubi Maximum Security prison cell and one burglar bar had already been cut loose at the time of the discovery.

“Investigations have shown that Matapo have been working with the assistance of prison officers within the station.

One of our officers was found in possession of receipts of the items found with Matapo and some text messages in his cell phone which shows that he has been communicating with Matapo’s outside contacts and he admits to having worked with him though Matapo distances himself from the officer.

“It is now difficulty to understand what is going on but other officers are linking the latest development to state security agents. We now suspect Prison Officer Grade 2 Gwekwerere is working with the state agents to frame up fresh charges against Matapo and his company,” said the source.

Most officers who spoke to reporters said they suspected that Emmerson Munangagwa could be behind the deal to eliminate Matapo.

Matapo is jointly charged with Nyasha Zivuku, Oncemore Mudzurahona, Emmanuel Marara, Patson Mupfure, Shingirayi Mutemachani and Rangarirai Mazivofa on treason charges.

He along with his alleged accomplices has been in custody ever since they were arrested in May 2007 and have been denied bail several times.

Matapo and the prison officer whom he is allegedly accused of working with only identified as Gwekwerere are currently held at Harare Central Police Station’s notorious law and order section.

(Source)