By Loirdham Moyo
MUTARE — The livestock theft case which has divided Zanu PF officials in Manicaland Province took a new twist today with attorneys representing the party’s suspended provincial acting women’s chairperson, Dorothy Mabika, alleging that she is being persecuted because she spurned sexual advances from Presidential Affairs Minister and Zanu PF secretary for administration, Didymus Mutasa.
Tinofara Hove of TK Hove and Associates made the startling allegations before Mutare magistrate Sekesai Chiwundura that his client was being persecuted for having turned down Mutasa’s sexual advances.
Mabika is facing one count of stock-theft involving six dairy bull calves and another of obstructing the course of justice. She has pleaded not guilty. The state alleges that Mabika received the six calves from Chipinge commercial dairy farmer, David Hercules Jourbert, as a donation for Zanu PF in September 2011.
Prosecutor Christine Nyamaropa is alleging that Mabika converted the calves to her own use and later claimed they had died of starvation due to lack of milk and supplementary feeding.
On the second count of obstruction of justice, the state alleges that in February this year when the case was under police investigation, Mabika tampered with minutes at the party’s offices to cover up the alleged crime.
Hove, while cross examining Mutasa, often referred to by his “Nyati” totem, challenged the Zanu PF secretary for administration’s threats to deal with Mabika if she continued to spurn his alleged advances.
Hove read in Shona a remark said to have been made by Mr. Mutasa to Mabika at a party meeting at Mutare Polytechnic College.
Mutasa is alleged to have said: “Mbizi nenyati zvinofura pamwechete, kana mbizi ikaramba kufura nenyati inotungwa nenyati (Zebra and buffalo graze together and if the zebra refuses then the buffalo will gore it)”.
Hove told the court the words were inappropriate and of a sexual nature, an assertion Mutasa disputed. Hove said the accused refused Mutasa’s sexual advances and to be in his political corner, hence she was now being politically persecuted as power struggles mount in Zanu PF.
Mutasa denied ever proposing love to Mabika insisting he said the words to a friend as a joke and that if she took them as a proposition then that was unfortunate. Hove also said Mabika was being used as a pawn in Zanu PF’s power struggles in Manicaland. VoaZimbabwe.com
