Mugabe’s nephew to face court as incriminating videos are released

Patrick Zhuwawo and Saviour Kasukuwere disrupted constitutional proceedings

MONDAY 27 JULY 2009 / BY ALICE CHIMORA

Zimbabwean President’s nephew who is accused of leading party militants and war veterans to disrupt a crucial constitutional conference in Harare would soon be prosecuted. Patrick Zhuwawo together with Youth Minister, Saviour Kasukuwere where captured on camera insiting delegates to disrupt proceedings.

Douglas Mwonzora, the co-chairperson of the parliamentary committee on constitutional reform said his committee had compiled videos showing the Zanu-PF legislators in action while leading the disruptions and would hand it over to the leaders of the political parties and the police for prosecution to take place.

"We have complied videos and discs which will be used as evidence during the prosecution of the legislators and other people who disrupted the conference (...) The videos are going to be used during the prosecution of these people as the days of lawlessness have to come to an end,” said Mwonzora.

Zanu-PF militants and war veterans two weeks ago disrupted the opening ceremony of a national conference to draw up a new constitution for Zimbabwe after complaining that the national flag was not on display and that singing of the national anthem was not on the program.

The war veterans and other Zanu-PF militants sang liberation war songs, shouting party slogans inside the conference, forcing the Speaker of Parliament, Lovemore Moyo to leave the podium before he delivered his opening address.

Kasukuwere and Zhuwawo now stand accused of leading the war veterans and the party militants to disrupt the conference. They have not denied the charge.

Mwonzora added: “What they did is a crime and they have and will be brought to book. The parliamentary committee on constitution-making will send the videos and the disks to the principals after which they will be sent to the police for prosecution.”

Under a unity deal reached between the Zanu-PF party and the two MDC parties in September last year, a new constitution will be in place in the country in 18 to 24 months.

A parliamentary committee is steering the process that will lead to new elections as outlined in Article 6 of the Global Political Agreement.

However, the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) and the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZINASU) among other civic groups are opposed to the dominance of politicians, notably a parliament committee in leading the process.

They argue that the disruptions at the opening of the first Stakeholders Conference underscores the need for a people-driven constitution-making process as opposed to a process driven by Parliament.