Staff Reporter

Harare magistrate, Ngoni Nduna, on Wednesday (13 January) granted ZW$100 00 bail to suspended Zimbabwe Miners Federation (ZMF) president, Henrietta Rushwaya, after more than two months in custody.

The former Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) president is being accused of attempting to smuggle more than six kilogrammes of near-refined gold.

She was arrested at the Robert Mugabe International Airport on 26 October last year. Since then, her attempts to gain freedom from custody were failing.

However, on Wednesday, Nduna gave Rushwaya bail and ordered her not to interfere with evidence.

The magistrate also ordered her to reside at her Gunhill house in Harare and be in her residence between 8pm and 6am everyday, report thrice a week at Rhodesville Police Station, surrender her passport and not travel to Zimbabwe’s borders.

The magistrate also ruled out submissions by the state that she could flee the country.

“Since the police have completed their investigations against the accused, the evidence is now secure. The State’s ground on opposing her bail on the basis that she is facing a serious offence and is likely to be imprisoned, cannot stand alone when others have lost. That she can abscond trial can be curtailed by stringent bail conditions,” said magistrate Nduna.

Rushwaya, is being charged together with a Pakistani gold dealer, Ali Muhammad, Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) operatives Stephen Tserayi and Raphios Mufandauya. Gift Karanda, an employee at ZMF, is also being charged together with Rushwaya in the case.

On social media, Zimbabwean citizens have been posting messages querying if Rushwaya was being held inside remand prison or got preferential treatment to reside at her home. The citizens also expressed concern over absence of photos showing her in prison garb.