Court delays appeal hearing by spies
Staff writer
8 December 2006

Three men convicted in Zimbabwe of spying for South Africa will spend another Christmas in prison after their appeal hearing at the High Court in Harare was delayed indefinitely.

Former ambassador to Mozambique, Godfrey Dzvairo, former banker Tendai Matambanadzo and the ruling Zanu-PF party’s former director for external affairs Itai Marchi, were convicted in February last year under the country’s Official Secrets Act of supplying party information to South Africa's intelligence services.

The men, all closely linked to President Robert Mugabes ruling Zanu-PF, received sentences of up to six years and have been in custody since their arrest in December 2004.

Their trial was controversially held in a closed court. A report in the state controlled Herald Friday said High Court Judge Anne-Mary Gowora delayed hearing the trios appeal against their convictions and sentences because court records were not yet ready.

The judge ordered the registrar of the court to urgently produce the necessary documents, the paper added. An earlier attempt to get bail pending appeal was dismissed this January when the judge hearing the case ruled the trio had international connections and could flee the country.

Another ruling party official and local business tycoon Phillip Chiyangwa was also arrested on suspicion of supplying inside information about the party in return for money. He pleaded not guilty and the charges were later withdrawn. Chiyangwa, who is a distant relative of Mugabe has gone on to build his business empire and enjoy a lavish lifestyle.