HARARE - THE bail hearing for Sunday Mail editor Edmund Kudzayi, who is accused of banditry, attempting to overthrow a constitutionally-elected government, insurgency, terrorism and sabotage, has been postponed to Thursday.
The State, represented by Tawanda Zvekare, told High Court Judge Justice Esther Muremba that Kudzayi had submitted a voluminous application.
“Applicant has filed a voluminous application and we need more time to go through it and file our response,” Zvekare said.
“We have agreed with my learned colleague to have the matter postponed to July 3. We will file our response on the 1st and if the defence counsel wants to reply they will do so on the 2nd then on the 3rd we hear the matter,” he said.
Kudzayi is represented by Everson Chatambudza who was not opposed to the postponement. Justice Muremba stood down the matter to Thursday.
Kudzayi could face life imprisonment if convicted of the offences.
He is also accused of conniving with his older brother Phillip Tawanda Kudzayi, who was recently arrested on the same charges, of attempting to overthrow the President Robert Mugabe regime in the run-up to last year’s harmonised elections.
The State argues that a gmail account called babajukwa2013@gmail.com was registered using Tawanda’s mobile number before the creation of the Baba Jukwa Facebook account.
According to the State, Kudzayi and his accomplices allegedly planned and organised themselves to form what they termed the “Gunda Nleya Brigade” as well as the Zimbabwe Revolutionary Army with the aim to overthrow the government by waging a war.
The State also alleges that they had put in place a Dare Rechimurenga (War Council) to study the Zimbabwe situation during elections while also posting Facebook articles encouraging rebellion if the election was stolen.
On May 11 this year, the Sunday Mail published a story titled “Hackers unmask Baba Jukwa”.
However, police believe that Kudzayi was Baba Jukwa as he was in control of the Baba Jukwa gmail account.
In the second count, Kudzayi is being accused of publishing articles branding Mugabe a “dictator” in the full knowledge that the facts may not be accurate.
Zvekare said the article falsely labelled Mugabe a “dictator” and “tyrant” who committed gross human rights abuses.
The article, according to Zvekare, stated that Mugabe stole the 2008 elections and that he presided over the country’s economic collapse.
Kudzayi was also found with four rounds of ammunition at his home while another nine rounds were recovered at his office.