Jonathan Moyo citizen arrest case opens
By Tarisai Machakaire
MDC Harare province youth secretary-general Denford Ngadziore appeared in court yesterday charged with convening an unsanctioned gathering in which he is accused of attempting a citizen arrest on Higher and Tertiary Education minister Jonathan Moyo for an alleged $400 000 fraud.
Ngadziore sought discharge at the close of the State case.
The MDC activist, 32, was represented by Obey Shava when he appeared before Harare magistrate Lazini Ncube charged with contravening section 25(5) of the Public Order and Security Act – which prohibits convening a public gathering without notifying the regulatory authority.
Shava urged the court to acquit his client because the State witnesses had failed to proffer relevant evidence linking his client to the offence.
“All the State witnesses confirmed that they had not witnessed anything pertaining to the alleged offence rather their evidence was based on hearsay.
“I did not even bother myself cross examining the third and first witness because their evidence was clearly irrelevant,” Shava said.
Prosecutor Nancy Chandakaona responded that it was not in dispute that Ngadziore had approached Moyo’s personal assistant on the day in question hence a nexus existed between him and the offence.
“It is not in dispute that the accused person was at the scene. He was not granted any permission to convene or organise a demonstration and there is no proof to show that they had been authorised to do so.”
Allegations are that on October 17 this year at around 11am, Ngadziore, went to the Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology ministry offices, where he convened and addressed an unsanctioned gathering demanding the immediate arrest of Moyo over the misappropriation of money from the Zimbabwe Manpower Development Fund (Zimdef).
Chairperson of the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) investigations committee Goodson Nguni, claims Moyo in cahoots with officials from his ministry, diverted $430 000 from the fund to finance personal activities.
Ngadziore, who was allegedly the convener of the unsanctioned meeting and alleged attempted citizen arrest, addressed the gathering without notifying the police.
Ngadziore was later arrested on November 2 last year at CID Law and Order. Daily News
