NINE suspected Ruwa land invaders arrested last month for allegedly grabbing land belonging to Ruwa Local Board and allocating it to their Tongogara Housing co-operative members, had their matter postponed to October 13 after their lawyer, Douglas Mwonzora failed to attend the hearing last Friday.
BY DESMOND CHINGARANDE
The suspects; Davison Chamisa, Langton Ncube, Phelithemba Moyo, Petronella Butau, Joe Mairos, Maxwell Dambudzo, Trymore Makwanya, Tonderai Makwanya and Ever Mutevera are all out on $50 bail each.
Mwonzora had earlier indicated that he would seek referral of the matter to the Constitutional Court accusing the State of discriminating his clients, who are known MDC-T activists, because of their political affiliation. State allegations are that in early August this year, they formed Tongogara Housing Co-operative and invaded the local board’s Mara Farm.
The State alleges the suspects subdivided part of the farm into residential stands and misrepresented to 609 members of the co-operative that they had been allocated the land by the Ruwa Local Board.
It is alleged the co-operative members started contributing $10 each, as administration fees, before they were allocated stands. On August 19 this year, the suspects contracted Quality Paving and Construction Company to construct roads at the site, before the local board reported the matter to police, leading to the suspects’ arrest.
Sebastian Mutizirwa appeared for the State.
