MUTARE - Giles Mutsekwa, the former minister of Housing and Social Amenities, has claimed the political violence charges he is facing were meant to scuttle his bid for the Dangamvura-Chikanga constituency.
Giving his oral defence summary before Mutare magistrate Noah Gwatidzo yesterday, Mutsekwa’s lawyer Chris Ndlovu said the charges were designed to disqualify his client from standing in the July 31, 2013 harmonised elections.
Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) and political parties signed a memorandum of understanding that any candidate who perpetrated political violence will be disqualified.
“As long as the first accused (Mutsekwa) is been linked to political violence he was disqualified to stand for the elections because of the memorandum of understanding between Zec and political parties,” Ndlovu said.
Ndlovu claimed the ploy was engineered by discharged public prosecutor Sam Chabuka, who was fighting Mutsekwa.
Mutsekwa is accused of ordering the assault of Crispen Dube.They were allegedly assaulted by brothers Kingston and Raphael.
According to Mutsekwa’s lawyer, the evidence of the state is “manifestly unreliable and there is a spectre of political mischief which is why we are in this court today.”
He continued to maintain that Dube lost in a street fight for which one of his clients Kingstone Mutandi should be found guilty but his sibling Raphael must also be exonerated on a defence of alibi as he claimed he was at home, in bed ill at the time.
Marlven Musarurwa, prosecuting, had called for the conviction of Mutsekwa for inciting the assault. He wanted the Mutandi brothers convicted for the actual assault.
The matter has been adjourned to February 20 for ruling.