State urges court to convict Gwisai

seeks to have Gwisai and his accomplices heavily punished upon conviction.
Gwisai, a former Highfield legislator, is jointly charged with Antoneta Choto (36), Tatenda Mombeyarara (29), Edson Chakuma (38), Hopewell Gumbo (32) and Welcome Zimuto (25).
Their judgement date has been set for March 19 after the defence closed its case.
Mr Michael Reza, in his submissions, said the six clearly conspired on February 19 last year, to cause public violence and the uprising had gone beyond the planning stage.
“The uprising had gone beyond the planning stage. The date had been set (March 1,  2011), the place set, (Africa unity square) communication method agreed on (e-mail, texting).
“All what remained was the arrival of the appointed date. The crime had been complete at that stage.
“If the accused persons are found guilty as charged (and the State firmly believes that it should be so) then they should be punished heavily,” he said.
The prosecutor further said that the State had proved the guilty of each and every one of the six.
Mr Reza said the six planned to import a strange way of changing Governments from Egypt to Zimbabwe which is against the President of Zimbabwe, calling the move as anathema to Zimbabweans.
He said President Mugabe is on record as having said what is happening in North Africa should not be copied in Zimbabwe.
Prime Minister Tsvangirai, he added, was also on record as telling his supporters to shun violence.
“Both national leaders have vowed to stamp out violence and yet we have six accused persons Nichodemously planning violence to assume power ostensibly for themselves,” he said.
He also urged the court to consider Shoko’s (Second State witness) testimony that Gwisai and his accomplices agreed that President Mugabe and Mr Tsvangirai should go because the former had been in power for too long while the latter is a stooge of the West.
“Were it not for the police, who scuttled the plan, Harare would have burnt on March 1, 2011.”
The defence lawyer Mr Alec Muchadehama is expected to file his written submissions before judgement is delivered on March 19.
The State alleges that the offence was committed on February 19 last year at Zimbabwe Labour Centre, at Number 43 Julius Nyerere Way in Harare.
It is alleged that Gwisai, a co-ordinator of the International Socialist Organisation and five others agreed to forcibly and to a serious extent disturb peace, security or order of the public in Zimbabwe.
It is alleged that they agreed to mobilise the people of Zimbabwe to revolt against the Government and demand the resignation of the President of Zimbabwe, the Egyptian way.