Zimbabwe whistleblowers arrested
2010-04-21 21:38
Special Report
A draft of a proposed new Zimbabwean constitution will prohibit the country's longtime president from running in the next election.
A dusty road leads to the village of Wedza, where veterans of Zimbabwe's liberation war eke out a meagre living on their farm cooperative, which after a promising start now brings only despair.
Harare - The mayor of Harare and eight councillors are to face trial for criminal defamation of a tycoon loyal to President Robert Mugabe, a court ordered on Wednesday.
The move comes after the council had urged that businessman Phillip Chiyangwa be prosecuted for corruption over massive land deals in the city.
Chiyangwa, a wealthy tycoon, plus one of Mugabe's ministers, were accused in a detailed report two weeks ago of corruptly acquiring hundreds of hectares of prime land in the capital, in collusion with council officials, when the city was governed by unelected officials appointed by Mugabe.
But in stead of investigating the Zanu-PF officials, police arrested Mayor Muchadeyi Masunda and eight councillors involved in unearthing the alleged corrupt deals.
On Wednesday a Harare magistrate ordered that they appear for trial on May 6, and dismissed their lawyer's application for the charges to be dropped on the grounds there was no evidence against them.
Legal experts say Zimbabwe is one of the few countries where defamation is a criminal, rather than civil, offence.
The action highlights what is seen as continuing refusal by police and justice officials to act against top officials of the Zanu-PF party allegedly involved in corruption - despite the fact that the country is under a power-sharing government with pro-democracy leaders.
- SAPA