TUESDAY, 4.00PM:
FORMER Zimbabwean President Canaan Banana finally took the stand in his defence in the Harare High Court on Monday, and swore that he never sexually assaulted any men.
Banana, who faces 11 counts of sodomy, attempted sodomy and indecent assault, told the court he has no explanation for why all nine complainants might make false allegations against him.
Banana allegedly assaulted male presidential staff during his 1980-1987 term of office, and a gardener and job seeker in 1995. Banana said that he recalled six of the complainants, but did not recall the gardener, former aide-de-camp Christopher Machingauta and ex-presidential guard Fortune Masawi.
He described how Ernest Ngwenya, 21, had asked him on the street in 1995 for help in getting a job and had visited him in his hotel room. His aide-de-camp, Edwin Mwandeya described escorting Ngwenya to Banana’s room and seeing him leave the hotel.
Banana admitted that Ngwenya visited him again later that year at his Mount Pleasant home. He said he told Ngwenya he had not found him a job and gave him Z$100 for the bus back to Bulawayo.
Ngwenya alleges having had sex with Banana on the occasion of that visit.
Banana said that Jephta Dube, the former aide-de-camp who said he was sodomised, is lying, and might have a financial motive, as he has made a large financial claim against Banana. Dube is serving a 10-year sentence for murdering a police officer who called him “Banana’s wife”.
State prosecutor Augustine Chikumira pointed out Dube’s complaint preceded his murder trial.
Banana denied the evidence of a former State House cleaner; and other aides-de-camp Robert Gwatidzo and Christopher Machingauta, saying he did not recall employing the latter.
Machingauta, a former air force squadron leader, has described beating up Banana when he attempted molestation.
Banana denied ever meeting gardener Kaitano Kembo.
LEWIS MACHIPISA reports from Harare that Janet Banana, 60, on Tuesday defended her husband, saying she would know if the allegations against him are true.
She denied ever having been woken by Banana screaming after he was attacked by a security guard he was trying to molest. She also said that if Banana had ever jumped into the State House pool as was recounted by another witness, she doubted he would have survived as he cannot swim.
She said as a Christian she would not lie.