SUSPENDED Sunday Mail editor Edmund Kudzayi’s freedom bid flopped yesterday after Harare magistrate Milton Serima dismissed his application for discharge and further remanded him for trial on allegations of waging a cyberspace war against government using a shady Facebook character called Baba Jukwa.
Serima dismissed Kudzayi’s application for refusal of further remand on the basis that the State’s efforts to engage the United States government demonstrated that the matter was progressing.
He noted that the case was too complex to be easily dropped before he further remanded Kudzayi to May 29.
Kudzayi, who is jointly charged with his elder brother Philip, allegedly attempted to subvert a constitutionally-elected government through banditry and insurgency.
Through their lawyer Tungamirai Chakurira – who was standing in for Admire Rubaya – the brothers notified the court that should the State fail to furnish them with a trial date on May 29, they would file another application for refusal of further remand.
Kudzayi is alleged to have planned and organised to overthrow the government by unleashing war together with several accomplices under the banner of the Gunda-Nleya Brigade and Zimbabwe Revolutionary Army.
Further allegations are that Kudzayi posted articles on the Baba Jukwa Facebook page to stir an uprising against the government in the event that the latter rigged elections. To further their end, it is alleged that Kudzayi created a gmail account under the address babajukwa2013@gmail.com together with Philip and other accomplices.
The group is further alleged to have posted articles on Facebook indicating that they had established a Dare ReChimurenga or War Council which was reportedly studying and monitoring the situation on the ground in Zimbabwe.
The State informed the court that the pair’s record would be merged with that of University of Zimbabwe student Romeo Musemburi, who is facing similar charges after allegedly writing an email to Baba Jukwa asking for arms to overthrow the government.