Paul Nyathi

Zimbabwe Miners’ Federation President Henrietta Rushwaya has been remanded in custody.

The state is not opposing the granting of bail.

State Prosecutor Charles Muchemwa messed up the case which was clearly predetermined after he begged Harare Magistrate Ngoni Nduna to grant Rushwaya bail before her lawyers submitted the bail request.

Nduna had to remind Muchemwa of the need to follow procedure and allow Rushwaya’s lawyer Tapson Dzvetero to make a formal bail application before the court.

“You can’t just bring your consent for me to rubberstamp. So bail application has to be done before me to give basis of the consent,” said Nduna to Muchemwa.

Dzvetero then asked for time to apply for bail, but Nduna said it was too late before postponing the matter to Wednesday.

The state had consented to Rushwaya being granted ZWL$90 000, residing at the given address and surrendering her passport to the police among other conditions.

A determination on the bail hearing will now be made tomorrow.

She is accused of attempting to smuggle out of Zimbabwe 6kg of gold.