Tsvangirai praises jailing of Zanu PF killers

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai who is President of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) says his party believes that the judiciary must be independent if it is to execute its duties fairly and without favour.

Tsvangirai was commenting on the incarceration of five Zanu PF supporters on Monday and last week. A Zanu PF mob commander Gilbert Mavhenyengwa was slapped with a 20 year jail term by a Masvingo magistrate while in Gweru four Zanu PF members were jailed for 18 years each by a High Court.  All the crimes were committed against MDC members. 

“Because of the recent judgment, does it mean this is the general practice? I don’t think so. I think these are exceptions. We are aware of cases that even us, ordinary souls would question, but I must say it is encouraging to see that even the untouchable can be brought to book for their actions. Let this not be an exception, it must be the rule,” he said.

Addressing journalists at his government offices in Harare today, Tsvangirai said the judiciary must be independent, professional and that adjudicate cases on the basis of their merit.

Meanwhile, the two Harare city councillors, Warship Dumba of Ward 17, Mt Pleasant and Casper Takura, Ward 20, Tafara who were arrested on Tuesday have been granted a US$100 bail each.

The two councillors were arrested in Mabvuku on trumped-charges of fraud.  The complainant in the case is Josephine Ncube, a Harare city council chamber secretary. The two councillors early this year reported Ncube to the police for stealing council land.