‘Gomwe terrorised us’

via ‘Gomwe terrorised us’ – NewsDay Zimbabwe December 15, 2015

A WITNESS in the $47 000 extortion trial of suspended Zanu PF Harare provincial youth chair Godwin Gomwe and seven other ruling party activists, told the court yesterday that the suspects used to terrorise their victims with impunity and become law unto themselves.

by PAIDAMOYO MUZULU

Gomwe and his alleged accomplice face charges of forcing housing co-operatives in Glen Norah suburbs to pay “protection fees” to safeguard their housing projects.

State witness Maxwell Mafa said Gomwe personally came and told them to vacate the land they had been lawfully allocated by the Harare Municipality. The party youth leader allegedly claimed that the land belonged to the First Family.

“Gomwe said the land belonged to the late Amai Sally Mugabe and co-operatives had no authority to do as they pleased on the land,” Mafa said.

“Gomwe said since Sally was deceased, Dr Amai Grace Mugabe was now the owner and you should now remove all your material from this site.”

Some of Gomwe’s co-accused are Muchineripi Mupindu, Fidelis Ndaradza, Haruwandi Munyawiri, Humphrey Madenyika, Josephine Hadziindi, Norah Toronga and Moses Handiseni.

Mafa told the court that Gomwe visited the site in the company of between 20 to 30 militant youths and indiscriminately beat up co-operative members accusing them of taking the matter to court. The party were allegedly angered by High Court judge Justice Chinembiri Bhunu’s order authorising co-operative members to stay put.

“Gomwe complained to us that we should not have approached the police and the courts as the matter was meant to be solved between the two groups,” Mafa said.

It was after this encounter that the youths demanded four stands or $20 000 as protection fees.

“Madenyika at the meeting we held said instead of the four stands they should be given $20 000 to share among themselves,” Mafa said.

The witness also said the figure rose to $25 000 after the youth leaders said the party’s women league deserved to get a share of the money.

Gomwe is being represented by Advocate Thembinkosi Magwaliba, while the Rungano Mahuni is representing the other seven accused persons.

Venancia Mutake is prosecuting the matter.

The trial will continue on January 27 next year under magistrate Tendai Mahwe.