Decide Nhendo
A 37-year-old man who assaulted Chief Murinye born Ephias Munodawafa on June 28 at a funeral was sentenced to two years imprisonment by Masvingo Magistrate Elizabeth Hanzie on August 8, 2023.
Wakemore Gavhure of village 33B under Chief Murinye area in Masvingo Central will serve an effective 1 year and three months after nine months of his sentence were suspended for five years on condition that he do not commit the same crime.
Gavhure was facing two counts of assault, the first being of assaulting Chief Murinye and the second one being of assaulting Honest Nemadziwa, a police officer who had accompanied the chief to a funeral.
It is the state case as presented by Nixon Chamisa that on the fateful day at village 33B, Gavhure slapped Chief Murinye with an open hand and also struck him once with a log on his hands.
Gavhure is also accused of striking Nemadziwa who was executing his duties on the head with a fist once.
In his defense the accused said he only slapped the chief with an open hand and denied that he used a log to hit the chief, and also denied striking the police officer saying the police officer was assaulted by people who were present when the incident happened.
On mitigation he pleaded for mercy saying he had admitted to his crimes and apologized to the chief who attended the court.
“I admit that I assaulted the chief with an open hand and a log several times. I am pleading with the court to be merciful taking into consideration that I have admitted to my crime,”
“I want to say I am sorry to the court and the chief whom I wronged intentionally, can the court please bear with me and reduce the punishment I am supposed to receive,” said Gavhure.
However, Magistrate Hanzie said she could not take that into consideration since Gavhure had wasted the court’s time denying what he knew he did and later on accepted.
