By Own Correspondent| A Bindura Magistrate , Vongai Muchuchuti on Friday postponen to Monday next week her judgement in a case where four allies of Zanu PF Mashonaland Central provincial chairman, Kazembe Kazembe are facing charges of hijacking a Harare businessman, Tafadzwa Musarara’s truck which had his election campaign material during the party’s primary elections.
The accused, Boyd Fungulani, Shingirai Chisango, Lens Faranando and Jonah Gwenya all of whom were part of Kazembe’s campaign team during the party’s primary elections allegedly committed the offence against Musarara, in a development which saw him lose over $12 000 worth of goods.
Magistrate Muchuchuti adjourned the court session twice after two of the accused persons Ngwenya and Faranando did not pitch up for the judgement.
The duo are Zanu PF secretaries for transport and youth in Mashonaland central province respectively.
Following their failure to present themselves at 8:00 am, the court session resumed at 10:00am and this time only Ngwenya showed up.
Through his Lawyer Zvidzai Kajokoto, Ngwenya pleaded with the court to be lenient with him since he was looking for his colleague (Ferenando) who had not responded when his name was called out three times by the court at 08:00am.
The state represented by Brighton Korera however argued that Ngwenya was lying as he had seen the two outside the court before the court session.
“The accused person is lying and is undermining the court because I personally saw him and his colleague outside the court as I was coming in at around 08:00 am. He is not telling the truth by saying that he was looking for his colleague when his name was called three times,” said Korera.
Magistrate Muchuchuti however cancelled the warrant of arrest she had against Ngwenya and reprimanded him against defaulting in future before postponing the judgement to Monday 16 July.
“I am postponing the case because i had combined the four of you in the judgement but now because that the fourth accused is in default, I have to separate him from this judgement meaning that I am now going to rewrite it,” she said.
Charges against the four are that on the eve of Zanu PF primaries held on 28 April at Dandamera shopping centre in Concession, and the four accused persons pounced on a 30 tonne truck loaded with flour and mealie meal belonging to Musarara.
The state alleges that the quartet ordered the driver of the truck, Bachelor Mpalane to surrender the car keys to them before beating him up and looting food stuffs which included flour worth $12 000.
Only food stuffs worth $885 were recovered.
The case was reported at Concession police station who referred it to Bindura CID section leading to the arrest of the four.
However, an official who refused to be identified alleged that Zanu PF Mashonaland Central provincial chairman Kazembe Kazembe is trying to bribe the court officials who are presiding over this case.
“ He (Kazembe) is making concerted efforts of trying to influence the judgement through sending his people to look for the court officials whom they want to give money,” said a senior Bindura court official.
“We have refused to tolerate them because we feel they might be trying also to trap us, and turn the case to us that we were soliciting for bribe,” said the source.
Efforts to get a comment from Kazembe were futile.