The State yesterday confiscated former Cabinet Minister Saviour Kasukuwere’s mansion in Nyanga after he failed to appear at the Harare Magistrates’ Courts.
Kasukuwere who is facing four charges of criminal abuse of office, had surrended the house as surety. The three charges against Kasukuwere rose when as Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, allegedly fraudulently parcelled out vast tracks of State land to former First Lady Grace Mugabe’s sister, Shuvai Gumbochuma. The other count was allegedly committed while he was the Minister of Youth Development, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment, when he corruptly awarded a tender to a company called Brainworks Capital.
Kasukuwere was issued with an arrest warrant in January by regional magistrate, Hoseah Mujaya, after he failed to appear in court for trial. He had traveled to South Africa for medical attention. Kasukuwere was supposed to return his passport on January 17. His failure to do so prompted the State to apply for an arrest warrant. The State successfully applied to have Kasukuwere’s Nyanga mansion forfeited to the State. He made an undertaking that in the event the order sought was granted, the State would give Kasukuwere 90 days to appear in court before disposing the property.
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