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Gushungo ‘bombing’ sucks in military

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CONSPIRACIES around the First Family’s Mazowe business empire — Gushungo Dairies — have now sucked in the military with two Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) soldiers arraigned at the Harare Magistrates’ Court on banditry and money-laundering charges.

CONSPIRACIES around the First Family’s Mazowe business empire — Gushungo Dairies — have now sucked in the military with two Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) soldiers arraigned at the Harare Magistrates’ Court on banditry and money-laundering charges.

BY PAIDAMOYO MUZULU

Borman Ngwenya, a corporal at 1 Field Regiment based at Cranborne Barracks, and Solomon Makombe, a retired Intelligence Corps officer based at Artillery Brigade in Domboshava, on Monday appeared before provincial magistrate Vakayi Chikwekwe on charges of conspiring to bomb Mugabe’s milk processing plant using Molotov cocktails.

Ngwenya and Makombe are jointly charged with two barely known “political activists”, Owen Kuchata and Silas Pfupa, for the crime.

Chikwekwe remanded the four in custody to February 8 and advised them to apply for bail at the High Court after prosecutor Michael Reza opposed their granting of bail.

The four had no legal representation when they appeared on their initial remand.

It is the State’s case that the four, working in common purpose, were planning acts of sabotage by bombing the Alpha and Omega dairy processing plant and tuckshop last Friday night.

According to court papers, the four were aggrieved by Mugabe’s perceived failure to rule the country.

“They accused the President of causing suffering to Zimbabweans because of his alleged dictatorial leadership style,” the papers read.

The crime, according to the State, was foiled after police received intelligence on the planned banditry activity and laid an ambush.

“On the same date at around 21:45 hours, officers in ambush saw the accused approaching and they immediately arrested them. A search was conducted on them and each was found in possession of a satchel containing four Molotov cocktails (petrol bombs), a Zimbabwe People’s Front political manifesto, party constitution and documents in relation to the political party’s activities,” the State papers added.

The four are further alleged to have held several meetings with unspecified donors to fund their terrorist and banditry activities. The State also alleges that the accused helped in making indications to the police after their arrest.