By Zvikomborero Parafini| The State has made an undertaking to ensure that former Minister Walter Mzembi is extradited from South Africa to stand trial in Zimbabwe.

Representing the State special unit prosecutor Brian Vito sought a postponement for the umpteenth time asking for the indulgence of presiding magistrate Hosea Mujaya to give them a long remand.

“We are seeking the indulgence of the court for one more long remand as we are anticipating that the extradition proceedings are going to take long as they involve jurisdiction from another country.

“We are hoping that on the next date, he will be here and trial will commence,” said Vito.

The application prompted Magistrate Mujaya to question Vito whether he was aware of President Mnangagwa’s grievance at the official opening of the new Labour Court yesterday where he said he was unhappy at the slow pace in which the courts were dealing with anti-corruption cases.

When asked where Mzembi is, his lawyer Job Sikhala said he is not aware of his actual location at the moment but has instructions that Mzembi is still indisposed due to colon cancer.

Mzembi’s accomplices Aaron Mushoriwa and Miriam Sangarwe opposed the applicatuion for postponement saying that the two times they consented to the application, they always find themselves in the same position.

“The accused persons were arrested on February 7 last year and a period of 15 months has lapsed but the presiding magistrate has the mandate to oversee that accused persons are brought to trial within a reasonable time.

“One and a half years is unreasonably long and the court must look at the due process and see if it is going to harmed if accused persons are removed from remand, they are of fixed aboard, Sangarwe is the chairperson of the Gender Commision and she would never flee,” said lawyer Farai Mushoriwa.

Magistrate Mujaya remanded the matter to May 13 for ruling. – H-Metro