Thokozani Khuphe's driver trial postponed

The trial of MDC-T deputy president Thokozani Khuphe's chauffer and his accomplice accused of hijacking the party's Matabeleland-North chairperson's driver and stealing cash from him was on Thursday further postponed after the defence lawyers requested for time to prepare.

Witness Dube, who is also Khuphe's security aide, and his co-accused Kunashe Muchemwa, MDC-T Bulawayo youth assembly's provincial secretary, are facing robbery and theft charges after they allegedly seized Sengezo Tshabangu's driver, Zaccaria Nkomo, on May 25.

They allegedly committed the offence following a fall-out between party leader Morgan Tsvangirai and secretary general Tendai Biti which resulted in a scramble for party property.

Tshabangu reportedly belongs to Biti's renewal team.

Yesterday, Dube and Muchemwa appeared before magistrate Mark Dzira at the Bulawayo Regional Court after the matter was transferred from the provincial magistrates' courts on Wednesday.

Dube is being represented by his lawyer Tanaka Muganyi, while Kholwani Nyathi is representing Muchemwa.

Dzira postponed the matter to September 17 2014 advising the accused and the state witnesses that the defence lawyers had requested for time to prepare.

"The matter was brought to this court yesterday (Wednesady) and the defence counsels have requested for time to prepare. They have since been served with the state papers. Counsel for first accused is also not available today," he said.

"It is my hope that on the 17th the trial will commence."