Cephas Shava
MWENEZI – Chenjerai Chivarange (38) has been sentenced to 30 months imprisonment after being found guilty of kidnapping an elderly man and taking him to a circumcision camp in the mountains.
Chivarange, of Chiwarure village under Chief Maranda, was given the sentence by magistrate Honest Musiiwa who, however, conditionally suspended six months.
TellZim News reported on two occasions how Chivarange and his gang from the camp pursued a naked Lysias Hlaisi whom they had ambushed as he bathed in the river.
Giving his side of the story in court earlier on, Hlaisi who resides in the same village with Chivarange. said he was corned by Chivarange and his circumcision group while bathing in the river.
He then had to flee home naked in broad daylight with Chivarange, who was the ring leader of the group, in hot pursuit right up to his home. Chivarange and his group manhandled and bashed Hlaisi before taking him to the mountain camp.
Hlaisi further told the court that in the mountain, he was forcefully circumcised and this has negatively affected his sexual prowess.
Appearing for the State, Willard Chasi said sometime in September 2010, Chivarange arrived at Hlaisi’s homestead with a group of about 20 men with the intention of taking Hlaisi to a circumcision camp in Tungunyu Mountain.
Being unwilling to go there, Hlaisi locked himself in his bedroom hut and refused to open.
Chivarange then took an axe which he used to break in, destroying some property in the process. After successfully breaking in, Chivarange and his gang bashed and manhandled Hlaisi before taking him to the mountain camp.
Hlaisi later on fled the camp and filed a police report.
After committing the offence and upon hearing that the police were after him, Chivarange fled to South Africa where he spent some years.
When Chivarange later returned, Hlaisi alerted the police leading to his arrest.local
