THE Attorney-General’s sudden interest in Henrietta Rushwaya’s court case on unsanctioned Warriors’ trips and a plan to prevent Tourism minister Walter Mzembi from testifying is baffling, to say the least.
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We saw it last October when the same office attempted to stop the case — now being heard in Chitungwiza — on the basis that there was a review application in the High Court that had to be concluded first, but then magistrate Esthere Chivasa rubbished the claims.
The case had already started and some witnesses had appeared in court.
Is this not the same AG’s Office that has been quiet since Zifa started trying to clean up the match-fixing mess? Players and officials have been tried and sentences handed down, with no word from the AG’s Office. Why a sudden interest in one individual?
Perhaps someone somewhere is getting the jitters, according to weekend reports on the withdrawal of Mzembi’s subpoena.
Last week, after Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) chief executive Karikoga Kaseke had appeared in court and clearly stated they had offered the Warriors a holiday and not football matches, it seems no one is sure of what would be said next in court.
Mzembi has been told not to appear in court on February 6, meaning critical evidence that can either clear Rushwaya or nail her, will not be heard. But if the evidence is to clear her, then there should not have been a problem with Mzembi’s appearance, unless the evidence is to the contrary.
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The minister has made it clear he will appear on that date after former board member Mwandibhuya Mutepfa implicated him. Mutepfa said Mzembi had cleared one of the trips, although there is now suspicion that he was not involved at all. Now he has to clarify matters in court himself rather than have the AG try to scupper justice and tell him not to appear.
Mzembi has to clear himself or his name shall forever be associated with the match-fixing scandal.
It should be remembered Asiagate has no business in our football in 2013. We need it no more and the sooner the case is done, the better. For justice delayed is justice denied for Rushwaya.
She needs to move on with her life and this interference, whether it benefits her or not, is uncalled for. We have a feeling though, that something behind the scenes is happening. Perhaps what has sent jitters are the testimonies of Kaseke and Givemore Chidzidzi (ZTA chief operating officer) last week.
Kaseke said he never authorised any game to be played and as far as he was concerned, the offer from ZTA had still not been taken up. The offer of a holiday emanates from Zimbabwe’s 3-1 win over Zambia in 2009 to lift the Cosafa Senior Challenge. Chidzidzi, on his part, said the trip undertaken to Malaysia by the Warriors had nothing to do with the pledge.
This now leaves Mzembi as the key witness to state if he cleared and organised the trip or the trip was undertaken for match-fixing purposes while hiding behind the ZTA pledge.
We, therefore, await with interest February 6 for Mzembi’s appearance.
