State agrees to spare Dudu Manhenga jail

The High Court yesterday reserved judgement in an appeal by Afro-jazz musician Dudu Manhenga, who was challenging her 18-month jail term for negligent driving.

Through her lawyer Iasiah Mureriwa, Manhenga who was last year sentenced to 24 months imprisonment for gross negligent after she fatally knocked down motorcyclist Graham Martin Millward, argued that the magistrate who presided over the matter had misdirected herself by her to prison rather than considering other non-custodial sentences and mitigatory factors.

The appeal was heard before Justices Charles Hungwe and Francis Bere where the NPA's representative, Sharon Fero, consented that the sentence was too harsh and proposed that Manhenga be sentenced to perform community service instead.