Murewa Magistrate Court was the stage for a dramatic turn of events during the trial of Pastor Lawrence Berejena, the former spiritual advisor to Morgan Tsvangirai, the late president of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).

The proceedings took a surprising twist when the controversial headman, Edmore Mungoni, doubted his own signature on a statement presented as evidence during cross-examination.

The trial revolves around allegations made by Headman Mungoni, who claims that Pastor Berejena showed contemptuous behavior during a local court session where he presided over a case involving the pastor’s elderly mother, who is 82 years old.

According to Mungoni, during the court session, the former Tsvangirai aide clicked his tongue and brazenly ordered his mother to leave the proceedings.
During the cross-examination, defense counsel Jacob Tuso confronted Mungoni with the statement he had previously given to the police.

When asked if the statement was indeed his, Mungoni surprisingly admitted it was his own. However, he then astonishingly cast doubt on the authenticity of the signature on the statement when questioned about it by the defense lawyer.

The courtroom was further captivated when Mungoni alleged that after Pastor Berejena clicked his tongue, villagers who were present burst into laughter.

This assertion contradicted the testimony of a second witness, Chamunorwa Mavhunga a clerk in Mungoni’s court, who stated that people merely exclaimed in disbelief at the pastor’s actions.

Such inconsistencies between the witnesses’ accounts and their initial statements provided to the police added another layer of complexity to the trial.

Tuso, sensing an opportunity to capitalize on these discrepancies, swiftly applied for a discharge on behalf of Pastor Berejena.

The court is set to determine the outcome of this application in the first week of August, pending the State’s response to the arguments put forth by the defense.

Presiding over the case was Murehwa Magistrate Terrence Mashaire.