Mahachi in court for stealing iPhone?

AFTER hiding from the media and the public since his forced return from South Africa, Kudakwashe Mahachi had no choice but to appear at the Bulawayo Magistrates' Court yesterday to answer charges of theft.

He arrived at court in the company of his lawyer, Nkosiyabo Sibanda of Tanaka Law Chambers and his best friend Zibusiso Hadebe.

Mahachi was suspended by South African Premier Soccer League side SuperSport United and returned to Zimbabwe to defend himself over allegations of scalding his four-year-old son with boiling water.

He has, however, avoided being seen in public ever since his return.

His expected morning court appearance was abortive, but he appeared before magistrate Maxwell Ncube with Karen Gundani prosecuting in the afternoon.

Gundani said Mahachi allegedly snatched and damaging his sister's iPhone XR smartphone on June 13, as part of concerted efforts to destroy evidence nailing him for purportedly scalding his son.

According to Gundani, the midfielder unlawfully took the iPhone XR cellphone with a Econet sim card knowing that Meline Mahachi was entitled to own, possess or control the property or realgihambe sharpising that there was a real possibility that Meline Mahachi might be deprived ownership or control of the smartphone.

Circumstances are that Meline Mahachi was called by her brother, Kudakwashe, who had parked his car outside her yard in the company of his wife, Rose Mahachi and friend Hadebe, who was driving the car.

He requested to use her phone to track his smartphone, which he claimed to have lost.

The state alleges that Mahachi took the black iPhone XR smartphone from the complainant and told Hadebe to start the ignition.

The complainant asked for her cellphone back, but Mahachi refused to return it.

He disembarked from the car and smashed it on the ground, saying he wanted to destroy evidence of photos and videos.

He picked up the damaged cellphone and walked away along Taylor Road towards Makokoba suburb.

The complainant made a police report leading to the arrest of the footballer.

The total value of the stolen phone is US$400 and nothing was recovered.

According to the State, Mahachi had no lawful right to act in the manner he did.

The prosecutor requested for a postponement to July 5, saying the State had not yet recorded witness statements needed for the matter to proceed to trial.

Meanwhile, Mahachi's brother-in-law Paul Sixpence, the husband to Meline Mahachi, also appeared in court yesterday for allegedly assaulting Hadebe.

Sixpence (37) appeared before magistrate Nomagugu Maphosa.

Hadebe (35) from New Magwegwe alleges that on Sixpence unlawfully assaulted him with fists several times and pulled him out of the car he was driving "intending to cause bodily harm on him and inflicted injuries on his body on the same day.

The State said Hadebe was sitting in the car while Mahachi was talking to his sister when Sixpence approached him saying "liyasijwayela" (you are undermining us) and punched him on the face several times and pulled him from the seat of the car.

Sixpence is alleged to have snatched the car keys and went into the house and returned them after some time.

Hadebe made a report to the police report leading to the arrest of Sixpence.

Hadebe sustained no visible injuries and did not seek any medical attention.