Source: Witnesses desert Gushungo bomb suspect – DailyNews Live Tarisai Machakaire • 29 April 2016
HARARE – A soldier who was part of a gang that was allegedly caught attempting to bomb President Robert Mugabe’s Alpha Omega Dairies will receive his judgment on May 10, after failing to have his accomplices testify in his favour.
Borman Ngwenya had said that he would have Solomon Makumbe, an army corporal and Silas Pfupa, an ex-soldier testify for the defence but notified the court that he was going to stand by his evidence alone.
Harare regional magistrate Fadzai Mthombeni will hand down the ruling.
During the initial court appearance Ngwenya appeared jointly charged with Zimbabwe People’s Front political party leader, Owen Kuchata, 34, — who is currently serving nine years for the crime, Pfupa, 37, and Makumbe, 29.
However, Pfupa and Makumbe’s case spilled into the Constitutional Court after the presiding magistrate conceded that the lower courts needed guidance from superior courts over the issue.
Ngwenya, 30, denied the charges and claimed that he got involved under the instruction of one Major Mashava.
The quartet is alleged to have travelled to Mugabe’s rural home in Zvimba and Chinese Embassy as part of their mission to spot sites that would hurt Mugabe the most if destroyed.
Ngwenya also claimed that Mashava was reliably informed of their movement and gave them authority to play along.
Prosecutor Michael Reza alleged that sometime in August last year, the accused persons held several meetings at Queens Hotel in Harare and planned to subvert a constitutionally elected government.
Pursuant to their plan, the quartet went to Mapinga in Mashonaland West Province and formed a camp from which their members would be trained and operate.
On January 1, they went to Mugabe’s rural home in Zvimba and carried out surveillances to identify suitable vulnerable points to carry out the sabotage.
They later met on January 19, at Queens Hotel and resolved that they would use fertilizer bombs to fulfil their mission.
On January 22, at around 4pm police received a tip off that the quartet were planning to bomb Alpha and Omega dairies processing plant and tuck-shop during the night.
Police detectives proceeded to the farm and laid an ambush about 100m from the quartet’s target.
Around 10pm detectives saw the quartet approaching the dairies processing plant and immediately arrested them.
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