Gwisai acquitted in Mugabe ouster plot

FORMER Highfield legislator Munyaradzi Gwisai and five other activists who were six years ago convicted for conspiring to commit public violence, with a view to remove former President Robert Mugabe from power, “the Egyptian way”, yesterday walked out of the High Court in high spirits after both their conviction and sentence were quashed.

The decision by High Court judges of appeal, Justices Charles Hungwe and Neville Wamambo followed an appeal by Gwisai, Hopewell Gumbo, Welcome Zimuto, Antoneta Choto, Tatenda Mombeyarara and Edson Chakuma who had been fined $500 each and ordered to perform 420 hours of community service by the late magistrate Kudakwashe Jarabini in March 2012.

The State had alleged the offence was committed on February 19, 2011at the Zimbabwe Labour Centre, at 43 Julius Nyerere Way in Harare where Gwisai works as co-ordinator of the International Socialist Organisation (ISO).

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