News / National
Kazembe's henchmen spared jail for stealing flour
18 Jul 2018 at 06:40hrs | Views
TWO Zanu PF activists in Mazowe West have been convicted and jailed for looting mealie meal and flour worth $12 000 from businessman Tafadzwa Musarara's truck in Concession during party primary elections in April this year.
The pair − Jonah Ngwenya (Zanu PF Mashonaland Central provincial transport secretary and Boyd Fungulani − were part of Zanu PF Mashonaland Central provincial chairperson and parliamentary candidate Kazembe Kazembe's campaign team.
They were convicted by Bindura magistrate, Vongai Muchuchuti on Monday while a warrant of arrest was issued against their co-accused Lense Faranando after he absconded the court hearing.
The fourth suspect Shingirai Chisango was acquitted of the charge.
Kazembe and Musarara were contesting against each other for the Zanu PF ticket for Mazowe West seat.
Ngwenya was sentenced to 24 months in prison of which 12 months were suspended on condition he performs 420 hours of community service at Chipadze Clinic starting tomorrow while the rest of the sentence was suspended on condition of good behaviour.
Fungulani was fined $100 after being found in possession of 20 kilogrammes of flour looted from Musarara's truck.
"In passing sentence, I took into consideration that the crime was premeditated and was meant to disturb the other candidate who was contesting in the Zanu PF primaries and also that you benefited from the offence since none of the stolen goods were recovered," the magistrate said.
"You are also being ordered to restitute the complainant whose restitution to be pursued at the civil court upon the production of documentation spelling out the value of the stolen goods."
It was the State case that on the eve of Zanu PF primaries on April 28, at Dandamera shopping centre in Concession, the convicts pounced on a 30-tonne truckload of flour and mealie meal belonging to Musarara and ordered the driver, Bachelor Mpalane to surrender the car keys before looting the foodstuff.
Ngwenya and Faranando were part of Kazembe's campaign team.
Brighton Korera was prosecuting, while Zvidzai Kajokoto of Kajokoto and Company represented the convicts.
Tymon Tabana of Rubaya and Chatambudza legal practitioners was advising the complainant and State witnesses.
The pair − Jonah Ngwenya (Zanu PF Mashonaland Central provincial transport secretary and Boyd Fungulani − were part of Zanu PF Mashonaland Central provincial chairperson and parliamentary candidate Kazembe Kazembe's campaign team.
They were convicted by Bindura magistrate, Vongai Muchuchuti on Monday while a warrant of arrest was issued against their co-accused Lense Faranando after he absconded the court hearing.
The fourth suspect Shingirai Chisango was acquitted of the charge.
Kazembe and Musarara were contesting against each other for the Zanu PF ticket for Mazowe West seat.
Ngwenya was sentenced to 24 months in prison of which 12 months were suspended on condition he performs 420 hours of community service at Chipadze Clinic starting tomorrow while the rest of the sentence was suspended on condition of good behaviour.
"In passing sentence, I took into consideration that the crime was premeditated and was meant to disturb the other candidate who was contesting in the Zanu PF primaries and also that you benefited from the offence since none of the stolen goods were recovered," the magistrate said.
"You are also being ordered to restitute the complainant whose restitution to be pursued at the civil court upon the production of documentation spelling out the value of the stolen goods."
It was the State case that on the eve of Zanu PF primaries on April 28, at Dandamera shopping centre in Concession, the convicts pounced on a 30-tonne truckload of flour and mealie meal belonging to Musarara and ordered the driver, Bachelor Mpalane to surrender the car keys before looting the foodstuff.
Ngwenya and Faranando were part of Kazembe's campaign team.
Brighton Korera was prosecuting, while Zvidzai Kajokoto of Kajokoto and Company represented the convicts.
Tymon Tabana of Rubaya and Chatambudza legal practitioners was advising the complainant and State witnesses.
Source - newsday
