Former Cabinet minister Saviour Kasukuwere was yesterday
given back his passport to enable him to travel to South Africa for treatment.
He will have the passport until January 16. This was after regional magistrate
Mr Hoseah Mujaya granted the former minister’s application for the release of
the passport.
Representing the State, Mr Zivanai Macharaga from the
Special Prosecuting Unit did not oppose Kasukuwere’s application, saying he was
convinced by documents from his doctor confirming the medical check-up.
Kasukuwere’s bail conditions were also temporarily relaxed and he was remanded
to January 17 for routine remand.
He is being represented by Advocate Thembinkosi Magwaliba,
instructed by Mr Charles Chinyama.
Kasukuwere is facing four charges of abuse of office
emanating from the time when he was Youth Development, Indigenisation and
Empowerment Minister and Local Government, Public Works and National Housing
Minister.
Meanwhile, Mr Mujaya temporarily suspended the trial of
former Mines and Mining Development Minister Walter Chidhakwa and his former
Permanent Secretary Francis Gudyanga pending the determination of Chidhakwa’s
application at the High Court.
Chidhakwa unsuccessfully made an application at the lower
court seeking recusal of the presiding magistrate Mr Nyasha Vitorini and two
prosecutors from the Special Prosecuting Unit.
Following the dismissal of his application, Chidhakwa —
through his lawyer Advocate Sylvester Hashiti —approached the High Court and
filed an urgent application to review the decision of Mr Vitorini and the
Prosecutor-General.
He then sought a stay of the criminal proceedings pending
the determination of the application for review.
Chidhakwa allegedly appointed Gudyanga as a lone board
member at the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ), with the full
knowledge that the MMCZ Act required a minimum of six and a maximum of 10 board
members.
Chidhakwa allegedly showed favour by appointing Gudyanga to
act as the sole MMCZ board member until 2016 after dissolving the previous one
in 2013. Gudyanga claimed $36 350 as sitting fees when no board existed, the
court heard. Herald
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