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Baba Jukwa strikes again

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The shadowy Facebook character and blogger known as Baba Jukwa posted a fresh “Asijiki/We won’t give in” defiance message on his wall yesterday,

The shadowy Facebook character and blogger known as Baba Jukwa posted a fresh “Asijiki/We won’t give in” defiance message on his wall yesterday, deepening the mystery over the persona behind the project four days after the arrest and detention of Sunday Mail editor Edmund Kudakwashe Kudzayi as the prime suspect.

MOSES MATENGA STAFF REPORTER

Kudzayi (28) was arrested last week and charged with attempting to subvert a constitutionally elected government or, alternatively, attempting to commit an act of insurgency, banditry, sabotage or terrorism by using the Baba Jukwa page to whip up emotions against Zanu PF and incite Zimbabweans to rebel if the party “stole” the July 31 2013 elections.

The blog went viral at the height of the election campaign last year, making controversial exposés of alleged political plots by Zanu PF officials and State security agents.

Kudzayi, who was appointed editor in April this year, was on Saturday remanded in custody to today for bail application before provincial magistrate Vakayi Chikwekwe. His lawyer Joseph Mandizha is expected to file a bail application today.

While many were still trying to come to terms with the purported unmasking of Baba Jukwa, the shadowy character hit again yesterday morning saying: “Good morning Zimbabwe. Please say a short simple prayer to God in your own mother tongue, so our nation can be blessed, and there can be more exposures of evils and all hidden treacheries, we are now almost there, just one small step left.”

By midday, Baba Jukwa — whose page has close to half a million followers — had clocked more than 260 likes, 22 shares and more than 450 comments. This was his first post since Monday last week.

On June 13, he had posted saying: “Great Zimbabweans the chief chipfukuto [weevil] has decided to sacrifice his blue-eyed zvipfukuto [weevils], who all came to Zimpapers on nepotism lines without proper channels followed to push his 2018 agenda.

“Information coming in after chief weevil apologised to His Excellency (President Robert Mugabe). More to follow,” he wrote.

This was after Mugabe had publicly lambasted Information, Media and Broadcasting Services minister Jonathan Moyo accusing him of being a divisive character and a “weevil”.

Armed police last Thursday went on the hunt for Kudzayi before he handed himself over to the police later in the day.

Baba Jukwa followers responding to the post yesterday felt that the new postings might be by hackers who wanted to trap other people involved in the project. Others, however, described police efforts to track down Baba Jukwa as a wildgoose chase.

“The fight is still on. These old people have lost it. It’s our time. Arresting Edmund will not stop the fighting,” a Baba Jukwa follower said.

“They themselves were arrested when they were fighting for freedom. Let’s also be arrested for fighting for our freedom. We are young and powerful.”

According to the police, investigations showed that Kudzayi, acting in connivance with his elder brother Phillip Kudzayi, believed to be still at large, together with other unnamed suspects, created a Gmail account called [email protected] using an Econet number 0771 446 541 registered in Phillip’s name.

It is alleged the said Gmail account, whose Econet line was still being used by Phillip, was used to create a Facebook account called Baba Jukwa which was used as a “plan to overthrow the government by unconstitutional means” in the run-up to July 31 general elections.

Two Zimbabwean journalists have also been linked to Baba Jukwa, but seem to have been exonerated following the new turn of events.

Baba Jukwa describes himself as a concerned father, fighting nepotism and directly linking the community with their leaders, government, MPs and Cabinet ministers.