Opposition MP implicated in Mabvuku violence further remanded in custody

By Violet Gonda
17 July 06

The opposition Member of Parliament for Mabvuku Timothy Mubhawu’s bail appeal hearing was postponed again by High Court judge Justice Chitakunye, on Monday. The legislator from the MDC led by Morgan Tsvangirai is being charged along with Abraham Kurimakwaramba in the case in which Harare North MP Trudy Stevenson and 4 MDC officials were assaulted and robbed by thugs on July 2nd.

The two, who have been remanded in custody to July 20, are accused of organising the attack against their opposition rivals from the Mutambara MDC.

The state opposed bail on the grounds that as the MP for Mabvuku, Mubhawu may interfere with witnesses or abscond. But his la wyer Alex Muchadehama is challenging this saying his client does not live in Mabvuku and said: “As far as we are concerned all people who are supposed to be arrested have been arrested.”

He said 6 others are also in custody in connection with the assault.

An emailed report by one of the victims, Trudy Stevenson, said the trial of some of the accused in the Mabvuku attack will begin on Thursday, at the Harare Magistrates Court.  She said so far the accused in this case are Pension Gomo, Nhamo Brown, Kudakwashe Kaparamura, Pardon Munengani, Wector Zambezi and Charles Maruma. 

Muchadehama said several other youths including the Ndira brothers Tonderai and Barnabas, who are alleged to have been violent and were implicated in the seizure of an MDC vehicle, had been arrested but released.