HARARE – Saviour Kasukuwere said he was “unshaken” on Monday after Zimbabwean authorities announced they were seeking his extradition from South Africa.
The former local government minister first left Zimbabwe shortly after a military coup collapsed the government of Robert Mugabe in November 2017. He returned in 2018 but was arrested and charged with corruption over the allocation of housing stands to a sister of the former first lady Grace Mugabe, but he was acquitted by the High Court.
The National Prosecuting Authority announced it planned to charge him over the same case which collapsed at the High Court, and an additional charge of corruptly awarding a tender to Brainworks Capital while he was youth and indigenisation minister.
“I’m not shaken, I can come back to Zimbabwe anytime and I’m ready,” Kasukuwere told ZimLive by phone from South Africa.
“They just have to talk to my lawyers and tell me the charge. I’ll be happy to be home and clear my name.”
Kasukuwere is one of several Mugabe allies who have gone into exile fearing political persecution by President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s regime.
Walter Chidhakwa, Walter Mzembi, Samuel Undenge and Supa Mandiwanzira are some of the former Mugabe ministers who have been arrested by Zimbabwe’s new rulers, accused of corruption.
Interpol has previously rejected Zimbabwean requests to arrest and extradite Mugabe’s former loyalists saying “it is strictly forbidden for the organisation to undertake any intervention or activities of a political, military or racial character.”
Zimbabwean prosecutors have changed tact and are now appealing to individual governments hosting the exiles. A request has already been sent to Kenya to extradite former higher education minister Jonathan Moyo, who is also accused of corruption.
Mnangagwa accuses the exiled officials of undermining his regime and plotting his ouster.
