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Trial of Harare mayor, councillors postponed
Movement for Democratic Change
May 06, 2010

The court case of Harare mayor, Muchadeyi Masunda and eight councillors who are facing spurious criminal defamation charges for exposing Zanu PF officials for illegally acquiring council land was today postponed to May 26.

The councillors, who are all from the MDC, were brought before the Harare Magistrates' courts last month for carrying out a special investigation that unearthed illegal acquisition of prime council land by corrupt Zanu PF officials, Ignatius Chombo and Philip Chiyangwa.

However, the case was postponed by Magistrate Oliver Mariga to May 26 after the defence lawyers said the trial could not proceed as they had applied to the High Court to review placing the accused on remand.

The defence also argued that the accused had not been brought before the courts properly.

The High Court is still to pass judgement on the application.

The MDC views the reprehensible prosecution of the councillors as politically motivated.

There is no way the police and the judiciary can arrest and prosecute innocent people at the behest of criminals who should in fact be the ones before the courts.

We call upon the police and the judiciary to be non-partisan and carry - out proper investigations over the illegal acquisition of council land by these senior Zanu PF officials and to bring all the culprits to book.

As a party of excellence, the MDC condemns any form of corruption and calls for an immediate end to the ceaseless harassment of its officials.

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