PLUMTREE -- A magistrate in this border town, Mark Dziva, has received death threats from suspected army officers after he denied bail to three soldiers who shot a policeman in a dispute ?over a woman .? Dziva received a letter threatening him with death ? after he ruled that Victor Mugo, Tapiwa?Chigiji and Trust Matende should not be granted bail.?The three soldiers appeared before Dziva last Wednesday and?were remanded in custody to October 30.?The Zimbabwean on Tuesday heard that the magistrate was also told in the unsigned?letter delivered to his office to recuse himself from the case and?leave the border town.?
Dziva confirmed receiving the threatening letter and told?The Zimbabwean that he had reported the matter to the police.?The matter has been reported to the police and they are ?handling the issue, said Dziva, who noted that the?threatening letter was delivered a day after he had denied the accused soldiers?bail.?
Chief Superintendent Abigail Dube of Matabeleland South confirmed?that the police had received a report from the magistrate over the?death threats.?The matter is under investigation, Dube said, without elaborating.??In what has been viewed as an act of lawlessness, seven soldiers led?by a lieutenant armed with assault rifles stormed a soccer pitch in?Plumtree and shot a policeman who they accused of stealing their?colleagues girlfriend..?