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Obert Mpofu to testify in Ndiweni case
01 Mar 2019 at 18:16hrs | Views
Zanu-PF secretary for administration Obert Mpofu, was on Wednesday issued with summons to appear before the Bulawayo Magistrates' Courts to testify in a case where he is accused of inciting a Ntabazinduna villager to defy Ntabazinduna Chief Felix Nhlanhlayemangwe Ndiweni's directives.
"Summons have been issued to Mpofu to appear in court to testify in the matter," Ndiweni's lawyer, Dumisani Dube, confirmed yesterday, after the chief's appearance in court.
Chief Ndiweni and 22 other villagers are accused of malicious damage to property belonging to his subject, Fetti Mbele.
The traditional leader and his subjects are alleged to have destroyed Mbele's property after he defied the chief's 2017 ruling to divorce his wife over adultery.
Ndiweni also faces extortion charges for allegedly collecting a cow and its calf from Mbele as fine.
Mpofu was summoned to court after Ndiweni testified that Mbele framed him and his subjects as he had been influenced by the top Zanu-PF official to cause their arrest.
Ndiweni said Mpofu wanted to fix him after he reported the former Home Affairs minister at Mbembesi Police Station, that he stole his (Ndiweni) late father's 200 cattle.
Ndiweni also said Mpofu, using his influence as minister, had caused the docket to disappear. As a result, Ndiweni's lawyer filed for Mpofu to be subpoenaed to testify in the matter.
Mpofu initially refused to attend court through an affidavit submitted by his lawyer, Byron Sengweni, saying he knew nothing about the case.
The matter was remanded to March 11.
"Summons have been issued to Mpofu to appear in court to testify in the matter," Ndiweni's lawyer, Dumisani Dube, confirmed yesterday, after the chief's appearance in court.
Chief Ndiweni and 22 other villagers are accused of malicious damage to property belonging to his subject, Fetti Mbele.
The traditional leader and his subjects are alleged to have destroyed Mbele's property after he defied the chief's 2017 ruling to divorce his wife over adultery.
Ndiweni also faces extortion charges for allegedly collecting a cow and its calf from Mbele as fine.
Mpofu was summoned to court after Ndiweni testified that Mbele framed him and his subjects as he had been influenced by the top Zanu-PF official to cause their arrest.
Ndiweni said Mpofu wanted to fix him after he reported the former Home Affairs minister at Mbembesi Police Station, that he stole his (Ndiweni) late father's 200 cattle.
Ndiweni also said Mpofu, using his influence as minister, had caused the docket to disappear. As a result, Ndiweni's lawyer filed for Mpofu to be subpoenaed to testify in the matter.
Mpofu initially refused to attend court through an affidavit submitted by his lawyer, Byron Sengweni, saying he knew nothing about the case.
The matter was remanded to March 11.
Source - newsday
