MDC sought army hand in 'power transition'

MDC sought army hand in 'power transition' - court told

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TWO senior officials of Zimbabwe’s main opposition party approached army commanders to arrange a “power transition” two days after Zimbabweans voted in general elections on March 29, a court heard Tuesday.

Tichaona Augustos Mudzingwa, secretary for defence in the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and newly-elected MP Pearson Mungofa are accused of “communicating falsehoods” and “causing disaffection among the defence forces” prejudicial to the State.

Mungofa, the court heard, is believed to have skipped the country to escape the charges.

Prosecutor Public Mpofu told the Harare Magistrates Court that Mudzingwa and Mpofu went to the Zimbabwe National Army headquarters at KG VI in Harare on March 31 where they sought an audience with Army Commander Lt General Phillip Sibanda.

Quizzed about their mission by two duty army officers manning the reception, a Harare magistrate heard, the two politicians said they wished to discuss “power transition” with the army chief, claiming Morgan Tsvangirai had defeated President Robert Mugabe with 62 percent of the national vote.

Official results of the elections which showed Tsvangirai with 47.9 of the vote to Mugabe’s 43.2 percent were not announced until May 2. Tsvangirai’s vote share was not enough to have him declared winner, and Zimbabweans will vote again in a second round election on June 27.

Prosecutors charge that the two men told army officers Lieutenant Colonel Lunga and Captain Owen Mudziviri that Tsvangirai was the “president-in-waiting and that their visit was part of the party’s grand transition strategy”.

Mudzingwa applied for bail, which was strongly opposed by the State. A magistrate was due to give his ruling on the application before Friday.

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