Former Zanu PF youth leader, Kudzanai Chipanga, who is being accused of making statements undermining public confidence in the military, yesterday applied for the variation of his bail conditions when he appeared before Harare magistrate Rumbidzai Mugwagwa.
BY DESMOND CHINGARANDE
Chipanga asked the court to allow him to report once a week at Borrowdale Police Station, as he seeks to spend time at his farm in Makoni district.
In his application, Chipanga, who is represented by Lovemore Madhuku, said the Zanu PF extraordinary congress held in December last year expelled him from the party, hence he no longer had any connections that were considered relevant for the initial bail conditions.
“Applicant is now a full-time farmer following his expulsion and he has to depend on his farming on a full-time basis. His farm is in Makoni district, some 170km from Harare. This is a drastic change of circumstances and he is required at the farm on a daily basis,” Madhuku submitted.
“The new political dispensation is now clear. The persons criticised are now leaders of the country and it is unlikely that the charge will be pursued.”
Chipanga was granted $500 bail with stringent conditions.
As part of the conditions, he was ordered to report twice a day at Borrowdale Police Station, to surrender his passport, not to interfere with State witnesses and to reside at the given address.
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Mugwagwa postponed the matter to today for ruling.
Meanwhile, another expelled Zanu PF youth leader, Innocent Hamandishe, who is also accused of causing disaffection among the defence forces, was remanded to March 8 by magistrate Mugwagwa pending finalisation of investigations.
The allegations are premised on a news conference the former Zanu PF youth league leaders held on November 14, where Hamandishe and Chipanga allegedly denigrated the then Zimbabwe Defence Forces Commander, Constantino Chiwenga.
Hamandishe also faces six counts of kidnapping. He and six others in 2014 allegedly abducted six people from Chitungwiza, bundled them into several cars and assaulted them, accusing them of being part of Gamatox, a faction allegedly aligned to former Vice-President Joice Mujuru, who was sacked from both Zanu PF and government in December 2014.
Sebastian Mutizirwa appeared for the State.
