By- Police in Mutare have arrested a 31-year-old Mutare man for selling live rounds in the streets.
Kudzanai Zvinoera was found with 11 rounds of live ammunition he was selling at Mhaka Shopping Centre in Yeovil suburb of Mutare.
Zvinoera appeared before Mutare magistrate, Langton Carter, and was charged with contravening Section 4 (1)(2) of the Firearms Act, Chapter 10:09 (Possession or acquisition of ammunition without a certificate).
He pleaded guilty to the offence and was fined ZWL$30 000. However, Zvinoera will spend 30 days in jail if he fails to pay the money by 5 December.
Prosecuting, Thurstone Mubvumbi, said Zvinoera was found in possession of 10 live rounds of ammunition and the other round was found at his place of residence. He said:
On November 14, at Mhaka Shops in Yeovil, Zvinoera was found in unlawful possession of 11 live ammunition without a certificate or licence.
On that day, police received information that Zvinoera was selling live ammunition.
Police reacted to the information and found Zvinoera in possession of 10 live ammunition.
He was arrested and taken to his place of residence where another bullet was found in his room.
Zvinoera was asked to produce a certificate or licence authorising him to possess or acquire the ammunition but he failed to do so.
Upon cross-examination, Zvinoera said the bullets belonged to his late father who was an ex-combatant.
He said the bullets were left behind by his father when he surrendered his gun to law enforcement agents some years back.
Zvinoera also said he was jobless and he was trying to raise money for his own upkeep by selling the ammunition. He said:
I am unemployed and was looking for money for my upkeep. My late father owned the bullets. He was a war veteran.
When he was asked to surrender his firearm some years back, he complied but left the bullets at our house.
The bullets have been in our house for decades. I thought I could sell them to raise money for my upkeep.
The 11 bullets were forfeited to the State. | The Manica Post