No reprieve for ‘Baba Jukwa’

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HARARE magistrate Shelton Serima yesterday dismissed an application for refusal of further remand on charges of subversion and undermining the authority of President Robert Mugabe through the Baba Jukwa Facebook account by Sunday Mail editor Edmund Kudzayi and his brother Philip.

HARARE magistrate Shelton Serima yesterday dismissed an application for refusal of further remand on charges of subversion and undermining the authority of President Robert Mugabe through the Baba Jukwa Facebook account by Sunday Mail editor Edmund Kudzayi and his brother Philip.

PHILLIP CHIDAVAENZI SENIOR REPORTER In his ruling, Serima said the complex nature of the case warranted more time and the State should be allowed the opportunity to finalise its investigations.

“Accused persons have been on remand for a reasonable time considering the complexity of the matter. The State should be afforded more time to complete investigations,” he said.

The matter was subsequently remanded to October 3 and the record will be married to that of University of Zimbabwe economics student Romeo Musemburi who is on remand on the same allegations after reportedly authoring a subversive statement and posting it to the phantom Facebook character Baba Jukwa’s Gmail account asking for the supply of guns so that he and other students could “hit the streets”.

Prosecutor Sharon Mashavira had pleaded with the court to dismiss the application on the basis that a team of police detectives was set to go to the United States to meet social network providers to aid the State case.

“Your Worship, we spoke to the head of the investigating team Assistant Commissioner Crispen Makedenge and he informed us that the docket has been sent to the Prosecutor-General’s office for perusal and preparation of the trial date,” Mashavira said on Monday.