Mnangagwa assault case jumps court queue?

A Harare man, who is also a suspected drug dealer, was convicted yesterday for assaulting Deputy Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry Tongai Mnangagwa and his host at a party, Wellington Vengesai, following a misunderstanding over parking space.

Munyaradzi Antony Mwedziwendira (30) pleaded guilty to two counts of assault when he appeared before Harare magistrate Mrs Appollonia Marutya and will return to court on Monday for sentencing.

Prosecutor Mr Thomas Chanakira said on Tuesday at around 10:15pm, Deputy Minister Mnangagwa and Handson Gapa walked out of Mr Vengesai's apartment at Trude Mansions on the corner of Sixth Street and Leonard Brezhnev Avenue in Harare after a party there.

On the way to the parking lot, Mr Vengesai came across Mwedziwendira who was talking on top of his voice complaining that Mr Vengesai and his friends had blocked his motor vehicles.

Mwedziwendira allegedly charged towards Deputy Minister Mnangagwa whom he held by the collar before turning and charging towards Mr Vengesai.

Mwedziwendira held Mr Vengesai by his beard using both his hands and asked him why he had not shaved.

He went on to threaten to shoot the two he had already assaulted, but did not produce any firearm.

Mwedziwendira was restrained by Mr Gapa before he drove off at high speed.

But more serious charges were laid against Mwedziwendira.

He and his employee Jasper Cephas Kuziva appeared before the same magistrate facing three counts of unlawful possession of mbanje, unlawful possession of unspecified medicines, and unlawful possession of unregistered medicines for resale.

Mr Chanakira alleged that at about the time of the fracas that led to the assault conviction, ZRP Leonard Brezhnev Avenue received a report that Mwedziwendira and Kuziva were dealing in dangerous drugs at the same shopping centre and had been involved in a brawl with some members of the public.

Detectives went to the scene where the two fled leaving behind four vehicles which allegedly held the dangerous drugs.

Police searched the vehicles, a silver BMW 530I, red VW, Mercedes Benz C240, and a silver Mercedes Benz C220.

However, police failed to access the boots of the vehicles since they were all locked. The vehicles were then placed under 24-hour police guard pending the arrest of the two.

On Wednesday, at around midday the two accused persons were arrested and Kuziva was found in possession of the car keys.

Detectives then searched motor vehicles at the scene and recovered two sachets of mbanje and a passport in the name of Antony Mwedziwendira from the Mercedes Benz C220

Two other vehicles were unlocked and searched, leading to the recovery of 26 prepared cigarettes of mbanje and 21 sachets of dagga.

Also recovered were 30 pentral-50 pills, Sildenafil tablets, 8 cobra 120 tablets, 13 black cobra 150, 7 black cobra 200 tablets, 9 sex force, 100mg sildenafil citrate tablets, 4 Oto tablets, 1 satchet of Viamax power sex coffee, 1 satchet of super power capsules passion energy,1 satchet of man king tablet, 1 satchet of Bang Bang strong man capsule and 1 satchet of AK 47 super.

In addition Police recovered mbanje packaged as 67 rods and 156 satchets in a black cooler box placed in the boot.

The vehicles were then towed to Milton Park Police Station for safekeeping. The recovered drugs had a street value of $825 000.

The seized drugs and the vehicles are being held as exhibits.