Tsenengamu to remain on remand

FORMER Zanu-PF Mashonaland Central youth chairperson Godfrey Tsenengamu, who is accused of subverting a constitutionally-elected Government or alternatively undermining the authority of the President, yesterday unsuccessfully made an application for refusal of further remand.

Tsenengamu appeared before Harare magistrate Ms Barbara Chimboza for his routine remand and the prosecution sought a further postponement of the matter to June 30.

Prosecutor Mr Sebastian Mutizirwa told the court that the docket was now at the Prosecutor-General’s Office for perusal, but there was an outstanding witness statement which needed to be obtained from the Daily News.

He said after getting the statement, Tsenengamu would be furnished with his trial date.

Through his lawyer, Mr Zivanai Macharaga, Tsenengamu expressed displeasure at the manner in which the State seemed to be dragging its feet in furnishing him with a trial date.

He accused the State of giving the same statement of the outstanding document on every remand date.

Tsenengamu then made an application for refusal of further remand, which Ms Chimboza dismissed on the basis that the State should be afforded another chance to wind up investigations.

Tsenengamu also stands accused of contravening the Public Order and Security Act by holding a press conference without notifying the regulating authority.

It is the State’s case that on February 20, Tsenengamu convened a public meeting at Media Centre Zimbabwe without notifying the responsible authorities.

The court heard that he went on to publicly and unlawfully make statements urging war veterans across the country to push President Mugabe out of office through unconstitutional means.

He was quoted as saying: “It is time we go open about the succession thing because some of us have since identified our candidate and it’s none other than Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa. If (President) Mugabe does not like him that is up to him, but we are saying we now want him to lead.”