HARARE - A Harare magistrate has thrown out the state’s application to have MDC chairperson Joubert Mudzumwe, accused of stealing $41 000 from the Commercial Workers Union of Zimbabwe (CWUZ), detained pending his trial.

Mudzumwe (46), a chairperson in the Arthur Mutambara-led faction and CWUZ secretary-general is jointly charged with his deputy John Chifamba (56) and messenger Tafirenyika Mushonga (56).

They are facing theft charges.

Mudzumwe and Chifamba were re-arrested last Friday on accusations of violating their bail conditions after they denied auditors entry into the workers’ union premises.

The state wanted their bail revoked and have them committed to prison pending their trial.

However, magistrate Anita Tshuma dismissed the application yesterday after ruling that the court cannot be dragged into the union’s personal issues.

The duo, through their lawyer Tayengwa Taimu, had denied the allegations and told the court that the accusations are malicious since they are not in “good books” with the union’s president Cuthbert Chikwekwete.

Mudzumwe is accused of conniving with his alleged accomplices and Felistas Hwazulu who is still at large, to steal money from the union’s CBZ bank account between October 2011 and November this year.

They will be back in court on December 20. - Tendai Kamhungira