News / National
MDC condemns arrest of 'Baba Jukwa' suspect
06 Jul 2014 at 06:34hrs | Views
THE MDC-T has condemned the arrest of a University of Zimbabwe student in connection with the Baba Jukwa saga where Sunday Mail editor Edmund Kudzayi has been fingered as the mastermind.
Romeo Tanyaradzwa Musemburi (20) was arrested last week for allegedly writing an e-mail to the shadowy Facebook character asking for guns.
Baba Jukwa rose to fame towards last year's election by making Facebook posts that claimed to expose Zanu PF election fraud and corruption.
MDC-T said Masemburi's arrest showed that the government was concentrating on minor issues while the country was burning.
"The MDC condemns the arrest of a University of Zimbabwe student in connection with the Baba Jukwa debacle," the party said in a statement after the meeting of its national executive in Harare on Friday.
"The MDC national executive took great exception to the government's preoccupation with the Baba Jukwa issue at the expense of pressing national issues.
"In short, the government is on Facebook while the people of Zimbabwe suffer."
Kudzayi and his brother are out on bail on charges of cyber terrorism and attempting to overturn the government.
The Sunday Mail editor is facing an additional charge of insulting President Robert Mugabe after allegedly penning an article saying the 90-year-old is a dictator.
Meanwhile, the MDC-T national executive set up committees to kickstart preparations for the party's congress in October.
"The executive, chaired by president Morgan Tsvangirai, deliberated and agreed on the main business of the forthcoming congress, apart from elections of leaders at the various levels of the party," the statement said.
"The important business of congress will be a review of the party constitution, policy review, the roadmap to the next election and the party's programmes."
MDC-T set up several committees to deal with business issues that would be tackled at the congress.
Jessie Majome will head the constitutional review committee, Eddie Cross the policy review committee while Douglas Mwonzora will head the information and publicity committee.
"The executive debated and adopted a template of the congress that clearly spells out how the process will be conducted," he said.
"The highlight of that template is that any person who qualifies can contest for any position in the party and that campaigning will take place in a free and fair manner.
"The executive resolved to ignore all press reports on issues that do not concern the people of Zimbabwe.
"The MDC respects the courts and the rule of law and the party's national executive scoffed at the so-called tribunal set up by the renewal team, a tribunal that was chaired by a former member of professor Welshman Ncube's party who later defected to Mavambo-Kusile Dawn led by Simba Makoni," MDC-T added.
Tsvangirai would be seeking re-election at the congress despite moves by a faction led by secretary general Tendai Biti to expel him from the party.
Romeo Tanyaradzwa Musemburi (20) was arrested last week for allegedly writing an e-mail to the shadowy Facebook character asking for guns.
Baba Jukwa rose to fame towards last year's election by making Facebook posts that claimed to expose Zanu PF election fraud and corruption.
MDC-T said Masemburi's arrest showed that the government was concentrating on minor issues while the country was burning.
"The MDC condemns the arrest of a University of Zimbabwe student in connection with the Baba Jukwa debacle," the party said in a statement after the meeting of its national executive in Harare on Friday.
"The MDC national executive took great exception to the government's preoccupation with the Baba Jukwa issue at the expense of pressing national issues.
"In short, the government is on Facebook while the people of Zimbabwe suffer."
Kudzayi and his brother are out on bail on charges of cyber terrorism and attempting to overturn the government.
The Sunday Mail editor is facing an additional charge of insulting President Robert Mugabe after allegedly penning an article saying the 90-year-old is a dictator.
"The executive, chaired by president Morgan Tsvangirai, deliberated and agreed on the main business of the forthcoming congress, apart from elections of leaders at the various levels of the party," the statement said.
"The important business of congress will be a review of the party constitution, policy review, the roadmap to the next election and the party's programmes."
MDC-T set up several committees to deal with business issues that would be tackled at the congress.
Jessie Majome will head the constitutional review committee, Eddie Cross the policy review committee while Douglas Mwonzora will head the information and publicity committee.
"The executive debated and adopted a template of the congress that clearly spells out how the process will be conducted," he said.
"The highlight of that template is that any person who qualifies can contest for any position in the party and that campaigning will take place in a free and fair manner.
"The executive resolved to ignore all press reports on issues that do not concern the people of Zimbabwe.
"The MDC respects the courts and the rule of law and the party's national executive scoffed at the so-called tribunal set up by the renewal team, a tribunal that was chaired by a former member of professor Welshman Ncube's party who later defected to Mavambo-Kusile Dawn led by Simba Makoni," MDC-T added.
Tsvangirai would be seeking re-election at the congress despite moves by a faction led by secretary general Tendai Biti to expel him from the party.
Source - Southern Eye
