CHIREDZI- A 28 year old man from Chinhoyi who was arrested at Makambe in Chiredzi North for possessing fire arms was sentenced to 18 months on Wednesday this week.
BY COURT REPORTER
Edmore Manuwere was earlier on deprived of his Constitutional Rights by Chiredzi Magistrate Joy Masimba Chikodzero who gave him only 5 minutes to secure the services of a lawyer at a time he was appearing in court from custody.
Despite his plea to secure legal services, the Magistrate had none of it, sticking to his 5 minutes time frame.
The accused was railroaded into a trial and eventually convicted and sentenced for an offence he denied.
The State case against Manuwere is that on 15 March 2021, the accused connived with Clive Kadambure to transfer hunting fire arms to Tafara Wilbert Muneri, a Zimra official at Sango Border Post, and his accomplice, Kennedy Ainos Mutanhaurwa.
The assortment of hunting rifles that comprised of 1 Remmington 700 rifle,1 Gal 375, 2 HH MAG 375,1 ,W/N MAG 458, and 1 CORMKI MAX 375 were destined for Mozambique through Sango Border post.
It is alleged that while at Makambe, along Rutenga – Sango Border Post road, the accused transfered the six guns from a white Toyota Hillux owned by his brother- in- law Clive Kadambure, into a white Mazda B 1600 pick up belonging to Muneri.
The rifles were to be delivered to a Mozambiquean national identified as Merthus Bertuel Novela at Chebhuto, Mozambique.
Muneri and Mutanhaurwa ran out of luck after police was tipped. The six guns, whose serial numbers were obliterated, were recovered from the back seat of their vehicle.
Upon their arrest, the two revealed that they received the guns from Manuwere and Kadambure only to hand them over to a Mozambiquean national.
Though Muneri and Mutanhaurwa were the first to be arrested and to appear in court, their case is still pending. The two were given enough time to seek legal representation and are currently on bail, unlike Manuwere whose case has since been finalised after being denied a chance to look for a lawyer.
Some legal experts querry why the accused was not jointly charged together with Kadambure, Muneri and Mutanhaurwa, raising suspicion of a brown envelope among court officials.
Journalists were chased out of the court room during the trial, after Magistrate Joy Masimba Chikodzero and Prosecutor Moreblessing Rusere concurred that there is a circular from the Chief Magistrate that prohibits journalists into court room.
Chief Magistrate Munamato Mutevedzi told this publication in a telephone interview that he never issued such a circular.
“I never issued a circular that prohibits journalists from hearing cases in court. Unless there is a court application that was granted by the Courts. Journalists are allowed to work at courts without any interference.
Besides my circulars are only for JSC staff members not those from the Prosecution department and therefore it is wrong for a Prosecutor to pronounce a Circular that does not concern her”, Mutevedzi said.
Pleading for a chance to secure legal representation, Manuwere said he was not given the opportunity to contact his relatives who are in Chinhoyi. He told the Court that none of his relatives, even his wife knew of his whereabouts.
“My brother in-law called me to meet him in town. I rushed from home hoping that I would return immediately.
After meeting my brother in-law, he asked me to drive him to Chiredzi because he was so tired. He told me that he wanted to meet his friend in Chikombedzi. I did not know the place. I drove the car without any suspicion and I never checked what was behind the seat.
While at Makambe, I was asked to stop after meeting a B1600 pick up. The driver of the mazda vehicle parked on the other side of the road and my brother in-law disembarked and had a chat with the driver (Muneri). I was then asked to transfer a bag that was behind my seat to the other car. We then drove back”, he said.
