GWERU – A local magistrate has convicted two men from Chirumanzu of sodomy barely six months after another pair were dragged before the courts on similar charges.
The accused, Sydney Magumise and Tinovonga Piki, pleaded guilty when they stood before magistrate Sithembinkosi.
The matter came to light when Magumise told another man, Eureka Piki, about the act. Piki then made a report to the police.
Magistrate Msipa slapped the men with a $1000 fine and strictly cautioned members of society never to trivialise cases of sodomy. – Brenna Matendere
MDC official jailed
GUTU – Gutu West MDC-T Organising Secretary, Johane Chikwava, was jailed for one month for assaulting a Zanu (PF) official in June and breaking his arm.
The assault followed a long-standing dispute between the two, dating back to the 2008 harmonised elections. Masvingo Provincial Magistrate, Oliver Mudzongachiso, gave the official the option of paying a $200 fine after convicting him of assaulting Elias Nhatare.
Nhatare was the Zanu (PF) Gutu Secretary for Security in the disbanded District Co-ordinating Committee.
Chikwava denied the assault charges but was convicted due to overwhelming evidence. In his defence, Chikwava argued that he was the one assaulted by Nhatare for wearing his party’s T-shirt at a funeral in their village on June 23.
The State proved that Chikwava visited Nhatare at his home and struck him with a log. A report was made at Eastdale police base in the area leading to Chikwava’s arrest. – Talent Bhachi
Man jailed for assault
MUTARE – A local man, Phineas Musinemo, was sentenced to a $100 fine or 45 days in prison for severely assaulting a man over suspicions that he was having an affair with his fiancée.
The incident happened last week at a popular Chidzere bar where Garikai Nxusa (30) was drinking. While talking to the bar lady, Musinemo’s fiancée, she asked for his phone in order to transfer him some music. Musinemo arrived on the scene and accused Nxusa of having an affair with his ‘wife’. He then assaulted the man. – Clayton Masekesa
Polygamist jailed for poaching
MUTARE – A polygamist from Sinakoma area, convicted of poaching animals worth about $4 000, told the court that he was only trying to sustain his five wives and 25 children.
Bokesi Hundred Mutale, 57, pleaded guilty to illegally trapping animals when he appeared before Binga resident magistrate, Stephen Ndlovu, last Thursday.
“I have five wives and 25 children and poaching was the only way I thought I could sustain my family,” said Mutale.
The magistrate convicted and sentenced him to three years in jail. Six months of the sentence were suspended for five years on condition of good behavior.
A further six months were suspended on condition he restituted $4,000, the cost of the animals he killed, to the National Parks and Wildlife Management on or before December this year.
The court heard that between 17-21 August, Mutale went to Eagle Eye Safari area at Nsenga in Binga where he set class one wire snares. He caught two klipspringers, one duiker, one impala and three rock rabbits.
Mutale was arrested by members of the police border control unit who had teamed up with rangers from the Department of National Parks on an anti-poaching operation in Binga. – Talent Bhachi
Tougher term for prosecutor
GWERU – Embattled Kwekwe public prosecutor, Vincent Chikombe, who was jailed for corruption earlier this year, will spend three more years behind bars after being convicted of another graft charge.
Chikombe was previously sentenced to two years in prison by magistrate Vengai Douglas Chikwekwe for taking bribes from criminals. On the fresh charge, the prosecutor was convicted for taking a $ 1 500 bribe to cover up a theft.
On February 14 last year, Philepo Mitela was convicted at Kwekwe courts of stealing gold. He was then fined $ 500 and ordered to pay the complainant restitution of $ 2 400. However, after failing to raise the money, the accused entered into an agreement with Chikombe to give him $ 1 500 so that the case would be thrown out.
The matter came to light when Mitela received a warrant of arrest for the case and implicated the prosecutor. – Brenna Matendere
Zanu official convicted
GWERU – Outspoken Zanu (PF) official, Jeremiah Mashura, has been slapped with a three-month jail term for defaulting on maintenance payments to his ex-wife.
Magistrate Sithembinkosi Msipa convicted Mashura on contempt of court charges after he missed eight months of maintenance payments to his estranged wife, Jinovova Chinhungwa.
On July 7 Mashura was ordered by the court to pay $120 in maintenance fees to his ex-wife. However, he only did so for two months. The money subsequently accrued and all efforts to force him to pay failed. This prompted the wife to seek legal action, which resulted in his prosecution. – Brenna Matendere
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