A Zanu PF activist Sybeth Musengezi, who is challenging President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s leadership of the ruling party, is expected to appear in court tomorrow following his arrest yesterday in Harare.
According to his attorney, Nqobani Sithole, Musengezi is accused of falsifying his address when he obtained a Zanu PF card.
Sithole said, “Musengezi was arrested when he handed himself to the police since it was agreed that he has to present himself for an interview. We went there (Law and Order Section) and the interview changed from what it was purported to be to an allegation. The allegation is that the Zanu PF party is alleging that Musengezi has made misrepresentations to their prejudice, the prejudice being to their good name.
“What is being alleged is that Musengezi falsified his residential address when he applied for his membership card. Further, the second card is that as a result of such falsification he then assumed a certain office, he was an office bearer as the secretary for science and technology within the Zanu PF political party and after that Musengezi has benefited as such by being a member of Zanu PF.”
Sithole noted that “the issue which is unfortunate in all these allegations is that Zanu PF is locked in a dispute arising from Mnangagwa’s rise into power within Zanu PF as contested by Musengezi.
“What is common cause is that there is litigation that is proceeding at the High Court in Harare where Musengezi has challenged Mnangagwa’s ascendancy into power. So, it is the same spirit and allegation that is now being investigated by the Law and Order Section of the police. Surely, the police have been weaponized to deal with descent within Zanu PF political party and it to is being used to frustrate or harass certain individuals in Zanu PF.”
Sithole said Musengezi denied the allegations levelled against him.
“Today we were expecting him to appear in court but unfortunately they are saying that ongoing investigations are being carried out. So, he is likely going to appear tomorrow. We hope tomorrow we will be able to acquire his release with all things being equal.”
He further said, “The allegations are disturbing. There is no substance in that allegation or those allegations since they are two and it is an unfortunate state of affairs wherein individuals within their political parties will be taking disputes within their parties to the police and the police gladly take them up purporting to be investigating them.
“I was not born during the Rhodesian administration but I think we are quietly gladiating towards that. There is no substance to these allegations. It’s very unfortunate.”
Zanu PF spokesperson, Chris Mutsvangwa, said declined to comment saying the matter is subjudice, adding that Studio 7 should contact the police for details on the case.
Police spokesperson, Senior Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi, was unavailable for comment as he was not responding to calls on his mobile phone.
Mnangagwa’s lawyers have been pressing Musengezi to drop the High Court case with some Zanu PF activists promising to take unspecified action on him.
Mnangagwa became the Zanu PF secretary in 2017 when the Zimbabwe Defence Force, ruling party supporters and others toppled then President Robert Mugabe, claiming that he was surrounded by thieves.