Bus driver jailed for using dead brother's licence

A DRIVER employed by CAG Traveller Coaches plying the Binga-Bulawayo route has been slapped with a 24 months  effective jail term for fraudulently using his late brother's driver's licence.

Luke Muchirawondo from Kuwadzana 7 in Harare pleaded guilty to charges of driving without driver's licence and forgery before Binga magistrate Stephen Ndlovu.

He was convicted and sentenced to six months for driving without a licence and 24 months in jail for forgery. Six months were suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour.

The court heard that on July 23, Muchirawondo was driving to Bulawayo from Binga centre at around 7.30pm and racing with a Zimbabwe United Passengers Company (Zupco) bus for passengers along the way.

His bus was involved in a minor accident with the Zupco bus at Manjolo business centre and police attended to the scene.

The two drivers were asked to produce their licenses. Muchirawondo then produced a licence bearing his late brother Bornwell Chawoma's names but with his face on it.

The police officer who attended to the accident had previously arrested him for assault, upon requesting his driver's licence noticed that he was now using a different name.

He then asked him to produce his identity card and that is when it was verified that he is Muchirawondo not Chawoma.

Police then approached the Registry offices in Binga and asked officials to produce both Muchirawondo and Chawoma's identity particulars and it was then discovered that Chawoma died in February 2013.