Suspect in Mabvuku violence case denied bail

By Tererai Karimakwenda
19 July 2006

The latest suspect arrested in connection with the assault on five officials from the Mutambara MDC which took place on July 2 has been denied bail by a Harare magistrate. Lawyer Douglas Mwonzora told us Wednesday that his client, 31 year old Francisco Zhuwau, was arrested by police at Matopos National Park in Bulawayo where he had gone to enquire about a job. Mwonzora said it is hard to tell why Zhuwau was arrested because he was not in the Mabvuku area when the violent attack took place and there is no evidence linking him to it. Additionally none of the victims have named him as a suspect. Despite the lack of evidence Zhuwau becomes the ninth person arrested as a suspect for the attack on Harare North MP Trudy Stevenson and four other MDC officials who were assaulted and robbed by a group of thugs as they left a meeting in Mabvuku two weeks ago. He appeared before Harare magistrate Faith Mushure on Tuesday and was remanded in custody.

Mwonzora told us the prosecution’s case rests fully on informants they have refused to name. He said this particular aspect of the case is very disturbing because the prosecution cannot keep the identity of informants secret from the court and from the defence. The anonymous informants are the only evidence the state has presented against Zhuwau. Mwonzora is also representing 3 other suspects in the case who were granted bail by Justice Garwe at the High Court. But Magistrate Mushure threw out Mwonzora’s application for bail. The lawyer said he will approach the high court on Thursday to grant bail for Zhuwau, as was done in the case of the other 3 suspects.

The state controlled Herald newspaper reported Wednesday that the Mutambara MDC faction has said it will not co-operate with the committee appointed by the Tsvangirai MDC to investigate this violent incident. A statement by deputy president of the Mutambara MDC, Gibson Sibanda, said they found no need to co-operate with a committee whose composition they were not party to. The statement said: "In the event of independent groups such as civic society setting up a commission, the party will welcome such an initiative and will encourage our members to co-operate with it."

The Tsvangirai faction have insisted the committee led by Advocate Happious Zhou is an independent body. The committee includes lawyers Irene Petras of the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, Kay Ncube of Gill Godlonton
and Gerrans and Kudakwashe Matibiri is the secretary.