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NewsDay

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Fugitive Kasukuwere loses property

ZimDecides18
FORMER Local Government minister Saviour Kasukuwere yesterday lost his home in Nyanga after the State successfully applied for its forfeiture on account that the ex-Zanu PF official had become a fugitive from justice.

BY OBEY MANAYITI

FORMER Local Government minister Saviour Kasukuwere yesterday lost his home in Nyanga after the State successfully applied for its forfeiture on account that the ex-Zanu PF official had become a fugitive from justice.

Kasukuwere, one of the G40 kingpins, is facing criminal abuse of office charges and was out on bail.

He was brought before the courts last year, having allegedly skipped bail following the November 2017 coup which ousted former President Robert Mugabe. Kasukuwere was, however, issued with a warrant of arrest in January after failing to turn up for trial and is reportedly holed up in South Africa where he purportedly went to seek medical services.

On Thursday the State, represented by anti-corruption special prosecutor Zivanai Macharaga, applied for the forfeiture of Kasukuwere’s holiday home in terms of applicable sections of the Criminal Evidence and Procedures Act.

He argued that the former Local Government minister was now a fugitive from justice as he was not admitted in hospital. Yesterday, regional magistrate Hosea Mujaya forfeited his Nyanga property that was presented as surety in his bail application.

“Whereupon after hearing argument, it be and is hereby ordered that immovable property commonly called sub-division D, Manchester, in the district of Umtali, Zimbabwe, be forfeited to the State,” the order read.

In his application on Thursday, Macharaga said: “The accused person is enjoying his loot in South Africa, knowing that nothing will happen to his properties. This court must declare the accused person’s property forfeited to the State. We will not dispose his property if he appears in court within 90 days of the order,” the prosecutor said.

“Even if he is sick or in good health, we are undertaking to delay forfeiture until he appears in court.”

But Kasukuwere yesterday took to microbloging Twitter to criticise the move by President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government to expropriate his property.

“Whilst silence is golden, there comes a time when your enemies think you are enjoying it. Abuse of authority and power has limits,” he said.

“God bless Zimbabwe #itsmycountrytoo. I said it will be rough, but it’s gonna be rougher, but thereafter we will have a Zimbabwe we all want. This monopoly and idiocy shall be challenged. With or without, 2023 is coming. Tatamba zvakwana!”

South African-based businessman Mutumwa Mawere, who lost his sprawling Shabanie and Mashaba mining empire to the State, said to Kasukuwere: “Welcome to the land of the victims. Order and structure can deliver a better promise. Yet the Zimbabwe we want is attainable and can never be captured. What time is it? It is time to be provoked, ignited and inspired to change perspectives.”