A court conducting an inspection in-loco at a former cabinet minister’s house has found 113 emptied bullet casings used when the Zimbabwe Defence Forces seized key state institutions last November and forced then long-term ruler Robert Mugabe to resign.
The court led by magistrate Josephine Sande visited Savior Kasukuwere's house in Harare's upmarket Glen Lorne suburb following an application by the former ZANU PF political commissar’s attorney Jonathan Samkange for the state to conduct an inspection in-loco at his client’s mansion.
Samkange claimed that Kasukuwere’s life was in danger when he fled the country with former Higher Education Minister Jonathan Moyo, former Youth Minister Patrick Zhuwao and several others.
Kasukuwere claims that state security agents, armed with AK47 riffles, raided his home last November under the so-called Operation Restore Legacy designed to weed out “criminals surrounding” Mugabe.
A video circulating on social media platforms shows Kasukuwere counting the bullet casings at his house and showing court officials and other interested parties inspecting bullet holes in and around the mansion.
State prosecutors were not immediately available for comment.
Thousands of people backed the military operation, which was closely followed by an impeachment process that was initiated by parliament.
Mugabe resigned under pressure and Emmerson Mnangagwa, who had also fled the country after he was sacked for undermining the authority of the president, became Zimbabwe’s second executive president.
Kasukuwere, who faces charges of violating some provisions of the Immigration Act, belonged to a ZANU PF faction called Generation 40 which wanted former First Lady Grace Mugabe to succeed her husband.
The former Local Government Minister skipped the border and lived in South Africa for six months, claiming that his life was in danger back home. Kasukuwere returned home saying he has no case to answer.
Mugabe insists that he was removed from power violently by the military which helped Mnangagwa to become Zimbabwe’s second executive president.
However, Mnangagwa says the former president resigned following public protests and impeachment proceedings by parliamentarians who claimed that he was no longer in a position to rule Zimbabwe as he was surrounded by people who were running the government unconstitutionally.