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Businessman proposes employee, beats up husband for protest
22 Apr 2014 at 10:17hrs | Views
A PROMINENT hotelier in Victoria Falls, Edgar Farai Mhere, his wife, son and two workers, allegedly teamed up to flog a man with a stick for complaining about the businessman's sexual advances to his wife.
Zivai Shonhiwa, 27, later endured nearly an hour of detention in a dirty toilet by Mhere, who owns Mopani Lodge. Mhere allegedly ordered his wife, Mariya Jahan Mhere, son Glen Mhere and two workers Johnson Moyo who works as a security guard and Johnson Govanai to hold Shonhiwa while he lashed him several times with three sticks.
Shonhiwa, of Chinotimba Township, had expressed disquiet that Mhere, 53, was proposing love to his wife Martha Phiri, also an employee at the lodge. Mhere, his son Glen, 24, Govanai, 31, and Moyo, 21, were charged with assault and unlawful detention while the businessman had an additional assault charge alongside his wife Mariya for beating up Phiri who had tried to rescue her husband.
Mhere pleaded guilty to the charges while Glen, Govanai and Moyo pledged not guilty, saying they only assisted by holding Shonhiwa so their boss could assault him.
Victoria Falls resident magistrate Sharon Rosemani sentenced Mhere to a wholly suspended three months in prison on condition that he compensates Shonhiwa $150. He was sentenced to a further four weeks which were suspended for three years as the court ruled that he was not fit to do community service.
Glen was fined $50 (or five weeks in jail) while Govanai and Moyo were each fined $70 (or seven months each in prison).
The two were also sentenced to two months in prison which were suspended on condition each of them performs 70 hours of community service at Zimbabwe Republic Police Station and Victoria Falls Court respectively.
While Glen, Moyo and Govanai told the court they acted on Mhere's instructions, the businessman, who used to run a fleet of buses and supermarkets said: "He wanted to run away and I told them to lock him up as I went to report to the police that I had assaulted somebody."
Prosecuting, Listen Nare told the court how on April 12, Shonhiwa sent a text message to Mhere complaining about his advances to his wife. Two days later, the State said, Mhere and his crew hunted Shonhiwa down and found him at Chinotimba Bus Terminus and pretended they wanted him to fix a satellite dish at the lodge and he went with them.
Mhere instructed his workers to bring three sticks before ordering them to hold Shonhiwa by the arms and legs as he flogged him all over the body. He then ordered them to lock him in the toilet after beating him as he went to the police to make a report.
Shonhiwa's wife Phiri, who tried to intervene, also received a thorough hiding from Mhere and his wife Mariya and she fled and went to make a report to the police where she found Mhere.
On the charge where Mhere is co-accused with Mariya, the case continues.
Zivai Shonhiwa, 27, later endured nearly an hour of detention in a dirty toilet by Mhere, who owns Mopani Lodge. Mhere allegedly ordered his wife, Mariya Jahan Mhere, son Glen Mhere and two workers Johnson Moyo who works as a security guard and Johnson Govanai to hold Shonhiwa while he lashed him several times with three sticks.
Shonhiwa, of Chinotimba Township, had expressed disquiet that Mhere, 53, was proposing love to his wife Martha Phiri, also an employee at the lodge. Mhere, his son Glen, 24, Govanai, 31, and Moyo, 21, were charged with assault and unlawful detention while the businessman had an additional assault charge alongside his wife Mariya for beating up Phiri who had tried to rescue her husband.
Mhere pleaded guilty to the charges while Glen, Govanai and Moyo pledged not guilty, saying they only assisted by holding Shonhiwa so their boss could assault him.
Victoria Falls resident magistrate Sharon Rosemani sentenced Mhere to a wholly suspended three months in prison on condition that he compensates Shonhiwa $150. He was sentenced to a further four weeks which were suspended for three years as the court ruled that he was not fit to do community service.
The two were also sentenced to two months in prison which were suspended on condition each of them performs 70 hours of community service at Zimbabwe Republic Police Station and Victoria Falls Court respectively.
While Glen, Moyo and Govanai told the court they acted on Mhere's instructions, the businessman, who used to run a fleet of buses and supermarkets said: "He wanted to run away and I told them to lock him up as I went to report to the police that I had assaulted somebody."
Prosecuting, Listen Nare told the court how on April 12, Shonhiwa sent a text message to Mhere complaining about his advances to his wife. Two days later, the State said, Mhere and his crew hunted Shonhiwa down and found him at Chinotimba Bus Terminus and pretended they wanted him to fix a satellite dish at the lodge and he went with them.
Mhere instructed his workers to bring three sticks before ordering them to hold Shonhiwa by the arms and legs as he flogged him all over the body. He then ordered them to lock him in the toilet after beating him as he went to the police to make a report.
Shonhiwa's wife Phiri, who tried to intervene, also received a thorough hiding from Mhere and his wife Mariya and she fled and went to make a report to the police where she found Mhere.
On the charge where Mhere is co-accused with Mariya, the case continues.
Source - chronicle
