Faith Mabuto Midlands Reporter
A MAN dressed in camouflage who waltzed his way into two heavily protected military facilities, even managing to have epaulettes displaying rank sewn onto his uniform, has been charged with espionage-related crimes.
Embarrassed military chiefs have been forced into a review of systems at Thornhill Airbase in Gweru and KG6 Military Headquarters in Harare after the security breach.
Freddy Tinotenda Masutu, 22, of Bulawayo’s Nketa 7 suburb, will be sentenced today after pleading guilty to two counts of unlawfully wearing military uniform and unlawful entry into protected military facilities where he took pictures of an Air Force jet and marching soldiers.
Gweru Provincial Magistrate Musaiwona Shotgame told Masutu after a brief court hearing: “Come back for sentencing tomorrow.” Wearing camouflage in Zimbabwe attracts a jail term of up to a year while illegally entering a protected area and taking photographs can lead up to five years in prison.
Prosecutors told how easy it was for Masutu to walk in and out of the military facilities undetected.
The fake soldier was only apprehended after arousing the suspicions of military police officers who encountered him on a busy Harare street.
Prosecutors have so far not linked Masutu’s spying activities with any foreign government or destabilising force.
For the state, Kelvin Guveya said on the morning of August 5 this year, Masutu gained entry into Thornhill Airbase on the outskirts of Gweru after turning up in camouflage uniform.
Once inside, he proceeded to the tailor’s shop and requested Warrant Officer 11 Alice Manyenyeri to sew rank shoulder titles onto his jersey “so as to avoid any inconvenience with the superiors.”
He said at around 12PM on the same date, Masutu would return to Manyenyeri and request to have a “V” rank sewn onto his jersey, but material was not available. He left his jersey to be sewn when the material became available.
The “V” rank is for Lance Corporal.
Guveya said Masutu never returned to the tailor’s shop.
While still within Thornhill Airbase, the court heard, Masutu proceeded to the runway and took a picture of the K-8 military training plane.
On count two, Guveya said Masutu gained entry into KG6 knowing that he was not a member of the Zimbabwe National Army.
Using his mobile phone, he recorded pictures of himself and those of marching soldiers whilst inside the prohibited area.
Days later, Masutu who was wearing a camouflage uniform, was walking along Leopold Takawira Street in Harare, talking on his mobile phone.
Guveya said military police officers stopped Masutu to investigate if he was a genuine soldier.
“It was upon these inquiries that Sergeant Pande then arrested the accused person and asked him to accompany them to Drill Hall in order to verify whether indeed the accused person was employed by the Zimbabwe National Army,” he said.
Guveya said Masutu pleaded with Sergeant Pande and Private Muromo to let him fetch his car, which he had left parked nearby.
The two officers had confiscated his mobile phone to ensure that he turned up.
The court heard Masutu turned up at Drill Hall to collect his ZTE mobile phone which he had left behind with Private Muromo, but he was now wearing a blue work suit.
Guveya said Sergeant Pande went through the photo library on Masutu’s mobile phone and discovered photographs which showed that he had been to Thornhill Airbase in Gweru as well as KG6 Military Headquarters in Harare. “The accused person led the police detectives to a house on 3rd Street, Gweru, where the full military camouflage uniform was recovered as well as a military jersey that he had left with Warrant Officer 11 Manyenyeri,” said Guveya. Last month, Brighton Chamhanga, 29, was arrested for pretending to be a police officer and operating from Tsholotsho Police Station for a year.
He told other officers he had been sent to investigate corruption within their ranks, hence they were afraid to verify his credentials.
Magistrate Tinashe Tashaya last week placed Chamhanga off remand and said prosecutors would proceed by way of summons.
