‘Convicted ‘Rapist’ And GVT Funds Looter ‘Lawrence Katsiru ‘ To Represent Marondera Central’

CONVICTED rapist Lawrence Katsiru has won the Zanu PF primary election and will represent the party in the Marondera Central parliamentary by-election set for 19 September.

Katsiru, a sect leader for Johane Masowe weChishanu Apostolic Church (Marondera) made headlines in 2007 when he was sentenced to nine years in prison for raping a teenage church member.

However, he was released in January 2008 by the High Court after the state conceded during an appeal that a lower court had wrongly convicted Katsiru.

The acquittal was viewed by many as politically motivated and an appeal was lodged against the ruling at the Supreme Court.

The counter-appeal has not been heard.

Soon after his release from prison in 2008, Katsiru was accused by the MDC-T and other human rights organisations of orchestrating violence against perceived opposition supporters in Marondera and surrounding areas.

This was after President Robert Mugabe  and Zanu PF were defeated in the March elections by Morgan Tsvangirai and the MDC-T.

Hundreds of people are reported to have been killed during that period.

In 2013, during a parliamentary probe into the government funded youth fund, four different persons who were all named as Lawrence Katsiru and using the address of his farm known as “Little Zimbabwe” were reported to have benefitted from the scheme after receiving a total of $400,000.

However, a visit to the farm by the probe team showed that none of the projects cited by the beneficiaries of the funds existed.

The true identity of the four beneficiaries could also not be ascertained.

The Zanu PF primary election for Marondera Central constituency was contested by 11 candidates.

The by-election was called for after the then MP for Marondera Central, Ray Kaukonde, was expelled from the party on charges of bankrolling and working with dismissed Vice President, Joice Mujuru to topple Mugabe.

Two weeks ago, Zanu PF also held elections in the province to find a candidate to fill the vacancy left by Kaukonde of the provincial chairperson.

The post was won by Joel Biggie Matiza while Katsiru was appointed as the provincial secretary for administration. source-newzimbabwe