Staff Reporter
RUSAPE- MDC-T Member of Parliament for Makoni South Pishai Muchauraya will be languishing in remand at Rusape Prison for the next seven days after the State invoked the notorious Section 121 to quash an earlier decision by the court to grant the legislator bail.
Muchauraya, who is also the Manicaland MDC-T spokesperson, was arrested last Friday with contravening Section 186 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act after he allegedly made death threats against his rival, Geoff Nyarota’s campaign team manager Amos Kutiya at a rally in his constituency in March.
Muchauray is denying the allegations entirely, insisting that they were machinations of his political foes who were determined to scuttle his confirmation as MP for Makoni South.
Muchauraya was eventually confirmed on Sunday, while in police holding cells at Mutare Central Police Station, from where on Monday he was transferred to Rusape, in an open truck, for court appearance.
The arrest took place shortly before Muchauraya, a member of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Media, Information and Communication, attended a Media Institute of Southern Africa- organised meeting.
Muchauraya, who through his lawyer Passmore Nyakureba was bitter that police brought him to court seated on a spare wheel at the back of an open police pick-up vehicle on a freezing morning, had been granted $100 bail by Rusape magistrate Ms Elizabeth Hanzi.
However, State lawyer Mr Tirivanhu Mutyasira had to resort to the notorious law after Ms Hanzi had rubbished all the reasons he had given in his vigorous bail opposition.
Ms Hanzi has also ordered an investigation into complaints raised by Muchauraya’s lawyer Mr Passmore Nyakureba that the legislator was detained for more than the constitutionalised 48 hours as well as why he was made to travel from Mutare in an open truck during a drizzling morning.
Muchauraya, who was overwhelmingly romped to a confirmation victory of 447 votes against 44 no votes, thereby burying the hopes of his fiercest rival and critic Geoff Nyarota, will be back in the dock on June the 20th.
Commenting on his confirmation victory on his arrival at Rusape Magistrate’s Court, Muchauraya told Nehanda Radio;
“Bhanditi rakahwina. {The jailbird has been confirmed.} What does that mean? It means the people still have confidence in me and still want me as their leader. I am being terrorized for their confidence in me, I am being persecuted because of your love for my leadership,” he said.
He added boastfully: “If 100 people had voted against me in the whole constituency, I was going to throw in the towel and let Geoff Nyarota stand because to have 100 people rejecting you as a leader is not a joke.
“I may be suffering here in prison, but the will of the people has prevailed against such diabolical machinations,” said Muchauraya, adding that he was tired of being arrested.
“Geoff Nyarota made the mistake of resorting to the police and the courts. Now look, together with the three other candidates that were fighting in his corner –they managed to garner a paltry 11 votes each to make up the 44 No Votes. What an embarrassment for that old man.
“If he had approached me for a chance to stand in Makoni South, I would have listened to him, and stepped aside. I am tired of being arrested; I could have easily volunteered to resign from active politics. This job does not reward at all,” said Muchauraya.
Muchauraya has a case before the courts for allegedly making death threats against Nyarota and the journalist’s aunt Sophia Chibayambuya, who is an MDC-T aspiring councillor in the same constituency.