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Jestina Mukoko to appear in court
The Herald (Zimbabwe)
December 24, 2008

FORMER ZBC newscaster Jestina Mukoko and nine MDC-T activists are expected to appear in a Harare court today on charges of recruiting or attempting to recruit people for purposes of undergoing military training to overthrow the Government.

Mukoko, an MDC-T activist and director of an NGO - the Zimbabwe Peace Project - was picked up at her Norton home on December 5.

The other eight are the husband and wife team of Manuel and Concilia Chinanzvavana of Zvimba, Pieter Kaseke of Banket, Audrey Zimbudzana of Chinhoyi, Broderick Takawira, the provincial co-ordinator of the ZPP for Mashonaland East; Fidelis Mujabuki Chiramba, the MDC-T Zvimba South chairman; Violet Mapfuranhewe and Collen Mutemagau, MDC-T Zvimba South youth district chairman.

A statement from the Zimbabwe Republic Police yesterday said some time in April this year, Manuel allegedly recruited Ricardo Hwasheni, a police constable based at Waterfalls in Harare, to undergo military training in Botswana with a view to forcibly deposing the Government and replace it with one led by Morgan Tsvangirai.

Manuel allegedly tasked Hwasheni to recruit four other policemen, promising them US$2 000 each.

Later, the statement said, Manuel and Kaseke, who is Hwasheni's cousin, went to MDC-T's headquarters at Harvest House, where a man identified only as Josen interviewed Hwasheni.

After the interview, Josen allegedly told Hwasheni that he would hear from him within two weeks or that Mukoko would contact him.

In June, the statement says, Hwasheni met Mukoko at her offices in Milton Park in Harare where she further interviewed him before handing him over to Takawira, who told him that he would be contacted within two weeks.

The statement further alleged that a man

who had been sent by Mukoko met Hwasheni at Girls' High School in Harare and gave him 200 pula and some Zimbabwean dollars for transport to Botswana where he was to meet a man known as Special.

Hwasheni crossed into Botswana in July through the Plumtree border post and met Special at Ramokgwebana Border Post.

Special took Hwasheni to a military camp in Botswana where he underwent training in the use of FN and AK rifles, military tactics as well as political lessons together with five other MDC-T recruits.

There were, according to the statement, 50 other recruits undergoing military training in the same camp.

Hwasheni returned to Zimbabwe with specific instructions to study the mood of junior police officers inasfar as loyalty was concerned and the mood of the public towards Government.

When he was arrested Hwasheni implicated Mukoko, Takawira, Manuel, Kaseke and Zimbudzana.

The other four - Concilia, Chiramba, Violet and Mutemagau - are being accused of recruiting people for training under the National Youth Symposium Training Programme in Botswana in July.

Concilia is alleged to have recruited Tapera Mapfuranhewe, who is Violet's brother, for the programme warning him not to tell anyone about it.

Tapera was given two letters which he took to Harvest House by Concilia and Ellen Musoni recommending him as a suitable candidate for the training.

Morleen Ncube and "Professor" Malvern interviewed Tapera together with 50 others at Harvest House and 48 who passed the interview attended a workshop held in Kadoma where they were told about the trip to Botswana for military training.

Between the end of August and September 9, the group allegedly travelled to Botswana in three batches with Tapera in the last batch that had 17 recruits with instructions from Edson Chamisa to meet a man known only as Zola.

The group was taken to Okavango Training Camp where they joined 120 other recruits, but on October 16 Tapera escaped and returned to Zimbabwe where he reported the military training to the State prompting an investigation.

Concilia and Chiramba are also being accused of holding meetings in Banket where they encouraged MDC-T youths to undergo military training in Botswana.

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