MLF’s Thomas treason trial closed

Politics
THE cross examination of Mthwakazi Liberation Front (MLF) activist Charles Thomas in his treason trial by the State ended at Bulawayo High Court yesterday.

THE cross examination of Mthwakazi Liberation Front (MLF) activist Charles Thomas in his treason trial by the State ended at the Bulawayo High Court yesterday.

SILAS NKALA STAFF REPORTER

The State said Thomas was arrested on March 3 2011 soon after being handed some documents by Eddimos Khumalo, who is based outside the country. Thomas was yesterday cross examined by Lavock Masuku for the State, who tried to pin him to admit that he was distributing subversive flyers and calendars. Thomas refuted claims by the arresting officer Constable Alex Chidhakwa, who said he tried to run away when he saw the police and was apprehended after a 300m chase.

“When I met Chidhakwa, I greeted him as someone I know and he told me that his bosses wanted to see the papers I was carrying,” Thomas said.

“This was a few minutes after I received the documents from Khumalo and I had not even read them. I still don’t know their contents even up to today.”

Thomas said it was only after Chidhakwa had taken him to other police officers that he was told the documents were from Khumalo, an MLF member believed to be in Botswana.

“Could it be a coincidence that you are an MLF security officer and on March 3 2011 you were arrested while distributing MLF flyers?” asked Masuku.

“I put it to you that you were seen distributing these papers at Entumbane flea market, that is why you were arrested.”

Thomas agreed that he was holding the flyers which he took from Khumalo, but denied that he was distributing them. He said he believed that the police officers saw him being given the documents and they targeted him after failing to locate Khumalo, who drove away from the garage.

Defence counsel Advocate Lucas Nkomo called defence witness Zotha Mpofu, who said he was with Thomas on the day he was arrested. Mpofu said Thomas intended to give him his money and they went together to Entumbane Complex Spar Supermarket where he was looking for change. He said Thomas did not have any papers when they left his place.

“We got to the supermarket where he got in and I remained outside. When he came out, he still had no change and we were going to Mpopoma School where he would pay his children’s fees and then get some change.

“When we were going to the bus stop, he said he wanted to see some people in a car which was parked at the garage,” Mpofu said.

He said he went to the bus stop while Thomas went to the garage and when he came back he was carrying some papers which looked like folded calendars.

“I had already boarded a kombi when he came to the bus stop, but he was stopped by a man (Chidhakwa) who was on a bicycle before he gave me R5 and went with the man to the supermarket. I disembarked and later saw many police officers around him and he was then handcuffed. It looked like they were harassing him.”

When Justice Nicholas Ndou asked Mpofu if Thomas came to the bus stop running, he said he was not running, but walking. He said he never knew that Thomas was an MLF member and only learnt that through the newspapers, though he has known him for more than 20 years.

The defence counsel closed its case and the State submitted that it needed more time to read and write its submissions on the case before judgement is delivered.

Ndou ruled that the State must make its submissions by February 3 and the defence counsel by February 10. Thomas was initially jointly charged with Paul Siwela and John Gazi in the case. However, Siwela fled the country while Gazi was acquitted for lack of evidence.