ZANU PF secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa yesterday told the magistrates’ court in Mutare that he had no personal vendetta against suspended Manicaland provincial chairperson Mike Madiro, who is being charged with stealing President Robert Mugabe’s cattle.
Report by Obey Manayiti
Mutasa made the remarks after Madiro’s lawyer Tinofara Hove alleged that the Zanu PF politburo member had concocted the charges to settle political scores against his client.
“It is not correct to say I have anything against the accused. I think they did wrong and because of that, they are before the court,” Mutasa retorted.
Asked how he related to Madiro and his co-accused Dorothy Mabika, Mutasa said: “They are all my friends. I believe we relate well.” Madiro (49) and Mabika (47) are being charged with stealing 10 beasts donated for Mugabe’s 21st February Movement celebrations last year.
The pair denied the charge when they appeared before Mutare provincial magistrate Lucie-Anne Mungwari yesterday and accused Mutasa of fabricating the charge for political reasons.
The State alleges that on an unknown day, but in 2012, at John Chirimambowa’s farm in Chipinge, Madiro and Mabika collected the cattle on Mugabe’s behalf, but did not declare the remainder after the President’s birthday celebrations in Mutare.
Three of the beasts were slaughtered at the party’s provincial inter-district conference in Mutare last year.
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Mutasa said: “It is a big offence of not declaring what was left because I should have been informed as the acting secretary for finance.
They were supposed to make a resolution to the effect that the cattle at Chirimabowa’s farm were theirs, but without that resolution, it’s a big offence.
You cannot convert the cattle for any other function besides 21st celebrations unless, I, in my capacity as acting secretary for finance, authorise that. The cattle belonged to the President and were purchased for his birthday. I was supposed to have been told so that we tell the President.”
Second to testify was Zanu PF secretary for youth Absolom Sikhosana who echoed the same sentiments although he said the involvement of the two was minimal in preparations for the President’s birthday. He said an audit was done and there was no report indicating that there were left-overs from the celebrations.
Sikhosana said the use of the cattle in question should have been declared and procedurally authorised by senior party members before any other use.
But, former ZBC news anchor Supa Mandiwanzira, who is the party’s provincial secretary for finance, said the provincial executive had every right to use the cattle because they were the ones who sourced them.
The matter continues today with several other witnesses expected to testify.
