Harare, November 8, 2009 – Lawyers representing Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) treasurer and nominee for the post of deputy Agriculture minister, Roy Bennett will challenge some of the charges he is facing on Monday when his terrorism trial kicks off in the High Court.
“There are issues we want to be struck off the charge sheet because we feel they are heresy and out of order,” Beatrice Mtetwa, Bennet’s lawyer said. “The state wants to bring Michael Hitchmann to testify, but we have since established that what he wants to say is different from what is recorded in his witness account.”
Senator Bennett was arrested in February days after the formation of the inclusive government at Charles Prince Airport and was held for charges of planning to topple President Robert Mugabe.
Tensions rose in the unity government when Bennett was arrested with Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai accusing Mugabe and his Zanu PF party of persecuting his senior party official.
When the MDC partially disengaged from Zanu PF on October 16, Tsvangirai said his party was disengaging from the unity government as outstanding issues of the Global Political Agreement (GPA) were yet to be resolved and raised the issue of the government’s failure to appoint Bennett to his post.
Bennett was once convicted by the parliament for punching Zanu PF’s Patrick Chinamasa in parliament after the latter said Bennett’s forefathers were ‘thieves and murderers.’ He spent more than a year in jail before leaving the country and lived in South Africa in exile.
Bennett later returned in January this year when the unity government was on the verge of being formed. Mugabe has refused to swear him, citing the serious charges he is facing,
However, despite swearing in Finance Minister, Tendai Biti, who was facing treason charges in February, before being cleared by the courts, independent analysts, have said Mugabe is playing a racial card on the former white commercial farmer.
Additional Reporting: Radio VOP
Tikumuvharira – regai muwone – and he will never be sworn in as a serving D/M under RGM. Tichamira mira semweya wetsvina, with our legal skills as Judges and deal with him once and for all. Watch this space, Big brother is here to stay!
We are not abolishing the MDC designated post, but we are saying that the incumbent is unsuitable. They better look for an alternative deployment because Bennet has colonial and criminal baggage. Bisides that, he is a citizen of South Africa, he must now understand better the laws on our immigration. Mpambepfumi!
hey,so called Big brother!
you are a sick man typical of ZanuPF idiots.Mugabe ass lickers.what you have written is a non event.write your poison in Kwayedza or Herald.If Bennet was a South African citizen why was he refused assylum?check your facts before you write your poison.
this forum is for intelligent people,plizz.,not Border gezi graduates.
So………so…so…so… sad Big Brother has a chicken brain.
“Big Brother” you just seem interestee in wafling and does not even understand the mafia ZANU(PF). Bennet’s swearing is one of the few “outstanding issues” Mugabe is going to fulfill because it does not threaten his power and at the same time he wants to appease SADC. Mugabe creates problems to cover other problems. For example arresting Lovemore Matombo is another creation of problems so that when Matombo gets released Mugabe will claim to have done something and leaves the old unresolved issues intact. The real issue is Gideon Gono who know where Mugabe hides all his loot. On this one Mugabe wont let go. Gideon will sing like a bird when he leaves his RBZ cage.