By A Correspondent | MDC Alliance councillor for Bindura Ward 1, Paradzai Mupingiza, yesterday appeared in court on serious allegations of fatally assaulting another reveller during a fight over a woman at a night club.

Mupingiza (35) was not asked to plead to murder charges when he appeared before Harare magistrate Mrs Barbra Mateko.

He was remanded in custody to September 18. Bail in such cases can only be granted by the High Court.

The state alleges that on March 21 at around midnight, both Mupingiza and the deceased — Robert Gomana — were at Hub 24 Nite Club at Dzivarasekwa 2 Shopping Centre in Harare, drinking beer.

The court heard that Mupingiza was in the company of two unknown men and a woman. It is alleged that Gomana developed an interest in the woman and he approached her seeking sexual relations.

This did not go down well with Mupingiza and the two men who then teamed up and assaulted Gomana.

The court heard that Gomara was saved by other patrons in the night club.

It is the State’s case that Gomana was rushed to Rujeko Clinic, Dzivarasekwa for treatment and was referred to Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals, where he was admitted.

Gomana died three days later due to injuries he sustained from the assault and a report was made to the police leading to the arrest of Mupingiza.

It was impossible at the time of writing to get the councillor’s version of events. The case continues; MDC Alliance Leaders have in recent months been arrested on spurious charges, and two days ago a Harare police officer was arrested on allegations of issuing fake COVID clearance certificates for USD10. In the latter case, the ZANU PF controlled media reported saying the named officer was arrested for issuing a certificate to MDC Alliance councillor Denford Ngadziore. The development comes two years after the police general Godwin Matanga publicly announced that he wants the MDC Alliance leader, Nelson Chamisa to give up his legal fight against Emmerson Mnangagwa over the military engineered 2018 election results. The police boss, told the Motlanthe Commission he wants Chamisa to take up a job given him by Mnangagwa of head of the opposition in parliament.