Gushungo bomb plot: State sticks to its guns

Source: Gushungo bomb plot: State sticks to its guns | The Herald April 4, 2017

Fungai Lupande Court Reporter
An application for refusal of further remand by four men accused of plotting to bomb the First Family’s dairy farm in Mazowe has been turned down.

Harare magistrate Ms Barbara Chimboza postponed the matter to May 31 pending their indictment at the High Court, saying they faced a serious offence.

The four are Owen Kuchata, Borman Ngwenya, a soldier attached to military intelligence; Solomon Makumbe (29), also a Zimbabwe National Army corporal; and Silas Pfupa (37), an ex-soldier.

They are facing charges of treason.

Prosecutor Mr Sebastian Mutizirwa said he anticipated indictment of the suspects at the High Court.

He said he awaited a determination in the matter in which Makumbe and Pfupa referred their case to the Constitutional Court.

In March last year, Makumbe and Pfupa applied for referral of their matter to the Concourt after the State reinstated the charges of possession of weaponry for sabotage, which had been earlier withdrawn before plea on the instructions of Prosecutor-General Johannes Tomana.

Makumbe and Pfupa are represented by Mrs Gamuchira Dzitiro, while Mr Exactly Mangezi represents Ngwenya, with Kuchata being a self actor.

Kuchata is serving nine years for banditry and money laundering.

The quartet allegedly established a militia training base in Mapinga, Mashonaland West province, where they planned to commit terror acts, sabotage and banditry.

Mr Mutizirwa alleged that on January 1, last year, they allegedly proceeded to President Mugabe’s rural home in Zvimba on a reconnaissance mission to identify suitable vulnerable points to sabotage.

It is alleged the four held several meetings at Queens Hotel in Harare mapping strategies on how they would strike.

Police received a tip-off that the four were planning to bomb Alpha Omega Dairy’s processing plant and a tuckshop during the night.

The police proceeded to the farm and laid an ambush about 100 metres from their target.

At around 10pm, the detectives saw the four approaching the processing plant and immediately arrested them.