ZimNow Reporter
Former Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Douglas Karoro has attributed his current legal troubles to political adversaries within the ruing Zanu-PF party, Charles Mutukudzi and Takesure Chikwamba.
Karoro claims their repeated primary election defeats against him in 2015, 2018, and 2023 are the root cause of the allegations he now faces.
These statements emerged after Mutukudzi testified as a State witness in a case accusing Karoro of unlawfully diverting fertilizer from the Grain Marketing Board (GMB), a charge Karoro denies.
At the time the accusations surfaced, Mutukudzi held the position of Zanu-PF District Coordinating Committee (DCC) deputy chairperson, while Chikwamba served as the chairperson.
In court, Mutukudzi recounted receiving a call from another Zanu PF leader, who reported suspicious trucks loading fertilizer at GMB Mushumbi, implicating Karoro. He stated he then provided a police statement following consultation with DCC chairperson Chikwamba, who allegedly informed him of an independent investigation he was also conducting.
During cross-examination, Karoro’s lawyer, Admire Rubaya, asserted that the two Zanu-PF DCC leaders, bitter from their primary election losses, fabricated the allegations. Rubaya suggested their motive was to "throw shade" and employ "dirty tactics" to prevent Karoro from contesting the 2023 elections.
Mutukudzi admitted to losing to Karoro three times in the race for Mbire's parliamentary seat but denied any bitterness. Notably, they again lost to Karoro in the 2023 Zanu PF primaries, even while he was on remand for the current allegations.
Mutukudzi maintained he received authorization from Chikwamba to provide a witness statement to the police against Karoro, citing the call he received as the reason, not bitterness. However, his admission that "It was human nature to want to win every election" was used by the lawyer to argue his unhappiness with the defeats.
The defense also questioned why a report of alleged malpractices at the GMB would go to Mutukudzi, given he is neither a government official nor a GMB employee. This, the defense contended, indicated Mutukudzi's vested interest and that his known animosity towards Karoro led him to quickly involve the police.
Mutukudzi claimed he contacted Karoro after receiving the initial call, but later withdrew his statement when asked for evidence to corroborate the communication.
The proceedings are set to resume on Friday before Regional Magistrate Marehwanazvo Gofa.
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