News / National
Mangoma attack youth appears in court
25 Feb 2014 at 07:24hrs | Views
A HARARE magistrate denied bail to MDC-T youth assembly secretary, James Chidhakwa, who is charged with assaulting the party's treasurer-general Elton Mangoma.
Magistrate Tendai Mahwe remanded Chidhakwa in custody to March 10 saying the youth leader, who is charged along with Harare central legislator, Murisi Zwizwai, was facing a serious offence.
Prosecutor Tungamirai Chakurira had opposed bail arguing that: "Chidhakwa's charges are of moral blameworthiness considering that he holds a top post in his party.
"This is a high case of political violence and is likely to face a jail sentence and therefore it will be a trivialisation of justice if he is released on bail.
"The offence is a very serious one as there is a political dimension in it and the people have spoken in the new Constitution castigating all forms of political violence.
"This court should therefore join the society in condemning all perpetrators of political violence."
Chidhakwa insisted he qualified for bail saying he did not commit any crime as he was just a witness when Mangoma was assaulted.
Through his lawyer, the youth leader argued that he could not run away from such a weak case.
According to the state, Chidhakwa punched and kicked Mangoma all over his body at the MDC-T's Harvest House offices on February 15, 2014 as the former energy minister was coming out of a meeting.
The State alleges that Mangoma bled from the nose during the attack which took place in broad daylight.
During the scuffle, Mangoma's shirt was torn while his spectacles worth $300 were broken before he was whisked away in MDC T leader Morgan Tsvangirai's vehicle.
Magistrate Tendai Mahwe remanded Chidhakwa in custody to March 10 saying the youth leader, who is charged along with Harare central legislator, Murisi Zwizwai, was facing a serious offence.
Prosecutor Tungamirai Chakurira had opposed bail arguing that: "Chidhakwa's charges are of moral blameworthiness considering that he holds a top post in his party.
"This is a high case of political violence and is likely to face a jail sentence and therefore it will be a trivialisation of justice if he is released on bail.
"The offence is a very serious one as there is a political dimension in it and the people have spoken in the new Constitution castigating all forms of political violence.
Chidhakwa insisted he qualified for bail saying he did not commit any crime as he was just a witness when Mangoma was assaulted.
Through his lawyer, the youth leader argued that he could not run away from such a weak case.
According to the state, Chidhakwa punched and kicked Mangoma all over his body at the MDC-T's Harvest House offices on February 15, 2014 as the former energy minister was coming out of a meeting.
The State alleges that Mangoma bled from the nose during the attack which took place in broad daylight.
During the scuffle, Mangoma's shirt was torn while his spectacles worth $300 were broken before he was whisked away in MDC T leader Morgan Tsvangirai's vehicle.
Source - herald
