Edmund Kudzayi
Fidelis Munyoro Chief Court Reporter—
The bail hearing of Sunday Mail editor Edmund Kudzayi was yesterday postponed to Thursday next week to allow the prosecution enough time to prepare its response.
Edmund is accused of attempting to subvert a constitutionally elected Government or alternatively attempting to commit an act of insurgency, banditry, sabotage or terrorism.
Justice Esther Muremba granted the request by the prosecution and deferred the matter. The defence did not oppose the application. Chief Law Officer Mr Tawanda Zvekare told Justice Muremba that Edmund filed a voluminous 92-page document hence they needed ample time to study it.
“We need ample time to go through the application before we file a proper response,” Mr Zvekare said.
“We intend to file our response on July 1 and the defence file their answering affidavit on July 2 if they so wish ahead of the hearing the following day.”
Edmund is likely to be jointly charged with his brother Phillip, who was arrested early this week and is in custody facing similar charges. Phillip is yet to file his bail application. The Kudzayi brothers were remanded to July 7 for routine remand.
Charges against the Kudzayi brothers arose after they allegedly hatched a plan with Edmund and other accomplices still at large to overthrow the Government through unconstitutional means.
It is alleged they created a Gmail account, babajukwa2013@gmail.com, using a mobile phone line registered in Phillip’s name, but used by Edmund.
The two allegedly formed two separate groups called the Gunda Nleya Brigade and the Zimbabwe Revolutionary Army to overthrow the Government.
They allegedly posted articles on Baba Jukwa’s Facebook page, which encouraged rebellion against Government if the July 31 harmonised elections “were stolen”. They allegedly posted articles to the effect that they had a Dare reChimurenga in place and that a team was on the ground studying the situation in Zimbabwe.
On May 11 this year, the court heard that The Sunday Mail published a story about the true identity of Baba Jukwa titled “Hackers unmask Baba Jukwa”.
Investigations revealed that the two were the ones in control of the Baba Jukwa Gmail account.
The court further heard that Phillip opened an account with a local bank which he accessed payments for Amai Jukwa articles which were authored and published by Edmund.