Bail Hearing For Chimombe And Mpofu Continues At Harare Magistrates Court

They are represented by lawyers Arshiel Mugiya and Tapson Dzvetero.

As reported by The Herald, the first witness, Gamuchirai Zimunhu, part of the ZACC investigating team, concluded giving her evidence on Monday afternoon insisting that the two were flight risks.

Zimunhu stated she believed Mpofu provided her with an incorrect address, citing a house in Greendale that is currently under construction and uninhabitable. This led her to suspect that Mpofu may have provided false information.

The second investigating officer, Henry Chapwanya, also took to the witness stand. He told Magistrate Marewanazvo Gofa that the house had no doors or windows. Said Chapwanya:

We found an unfinished house at the address provided by the first accused (Mpofu).

The house has no doors and windows and doesn’t look like anyone stays there.

We went around the house and it shows no one stays there.

Chapwanya also said the duo should be denied bail because they disrupted a project initiated by President Emmerson Mnangagwa. He said:

The actions by both derailed His Excellency’s vision to attain a middle-income economy. These types of economic saboteurs need to be dealt with using an iron fist.

Added Chapwanya:

My fear is with the reaction of the public. If you look on social media people are very angry. If released on bail, there will be protests on the streets, which will undermine peace and security in the nation as the country is expecting to host the SADC summit in the next few weeks.

The bail hearing in the case is set to continue today, 02 July 2024.

ZANU PF sympathiser and cleric Passion Java was in the court gallery in solidarity with Chimombe and Mpofu.

According to ZimLive, Java chatted briefly with the two after the court adjourned before he left under a heavy escort comprising private security and state security agents.

A woman, believed to be Mpofu’s sister-in-law, allegedly harassed journalists for filming Java while he was chatting with Chimombe and Mpofu.

Outside the court, she reportedly became agitated and nearly broke the cell phone of another journalist who was filming.

Chimombe and Mpofu’s legal troubles began when they purportedly leaked their WhatsApp conversations with Wicknell Chivayo, an associate of President Mnangagwa embroiled in a $40 million Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) tender controversy.

They alleged that Chivayo unlawfully altered their agreement with South African firms Ren-Form and Better Brands to provide election materials to ZEC ahead of the 2023 national elections.

Chimombe and Mpofu are also suspected to have leaked Chivayo’s voice notes in which he claimed to have captured President Emmerson Mnangagwa.