Independent presidential candidate Saviour Kasukuwere had his family home in Harare visited by officers from the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) on Friday in a relentless move meant to bring down the politician on corruption allegations.
Posting on his Twitter handle Friday, the exiled politician, on the day he was banned by the Supreme Court from contesting President Emmerson Mnangagwa in elections due 23 August, claimed there was renewed persecution for daring to challenge him.
“Desperation on steroids! Why is the regime sending ZACC to my family home? What valuation are you carrying out? @edmnangagwa. Is it criminal to contest you?” Kasukuwere said.
Kasukuwere’s spokesperson Jacqueline Sande confirmed ZACC officers indeed visited his home to “carry out some investigations over how he bought his house”.She described the visit as an act of victimisation against the politician.
This morning, the Supreme Court confirmed the High Court’s ruling that nullified Saviour Kasukuwere’s nomination as a presidential candidate for the upcoming general election. However, the court did not provide the reasons for its decision, which it stated will be given at a later time.
“The visit by ZACC is in perpetuation of the victimisation and persecution of President Saviour Kasukuwere which followed his nomination as presidential candidate,” Sande said.
“We however wish to remind the authorities that it is not a crime to contest for presidency.“If indeed such investigations were genuine, they should have been done earlier. The timing alone is enough proof that the intention is sinister.”
The spokesperson for the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC), Thandiwe Mlobane, declined to comment on the situation.
This morning, the Supreme Court confirmed the High Court’s ruling that nullified Saviour Kasukuwere’s nomination as a presidential candidate for the upcoming general election. However, the court did not provide the reasons for its decision, which it stated will be given at a later time.
In the past, Kasukuwere was an ally of the current Zimbabwean leader, and they both served in the government of former President Robert Mugabe.
However, Kasukuwere was forced into exile in 2017 when the military staged a coup against Mugabe. At the time, military spokespersons claimed that the coup was instigated by “criminals” who were allies of Mugabe and sought protection from him.
After being installed by the military, Mnangagwa opened corruption charges against Kasukuwere and some former party politicians who previously led a rival Zanu PF faction known as G40.
Kasukuwere denies allegations of corruption and argues that his prosecution was an attempt by Mnangagwa to settle grudges dating back to the party’s succession battles that occurred when it became clear that Mugabe’s long rule was coming to an end.
Source Hararelive
