MWENEZI – A man who allegedly kept on pestering his son-in-law to pay roora was savagely attacked and left with severe injuries that saw him being transferred from Neshuro District Hospital to Masvingo General Hospital for treatment.
Twenty-six-year-old Tafadzwa Pfumisidzai of Mfula Ranch under Chief Chitanga last week appeared before magistrate Honest Musiiwa facing charges of attempted murder.
Pfumisidzai told the court that he was acting in self-defence when he attacked Josias Musiwechivi who allegedly gave him a torrid time demanding that bride price for his daughter, who is married to Pfumisidzai, be paid in full.
“My father-in-law was the first to attack me. He confronted me and I tried to run away but he followed me into my bedroom pestering about the bride price,” said Pfumisidzai.
The court heard that on July 13, Pfumisidzai had a misunderstanding with Musiwechivi over the issue of bride prize.
Pfumisidzai is said to have taken an unidentified sharp object to stab Musiwechivi on his face and on the head.
Musiwechivi sustained severe injuries as a result of the assault and was referred to Neshuro District Hospital from where he was further transferred to Masvingo General Hospital where he was said to be battling for his life.
The court remanded Pfumisidzai in custody and the case was due to continue by the time of going to print.
Willard Chasi appeared for the State.
In a similar case, a man was dragged to the civil court by his former mother-in-law who sought a protection order against him, claiming that he was persistently harassing her and demanding his bride price back.
Gladies Bhovoza of Matutu village under Chief Chitanga dragged her ex son-in-law, Adonia Ndebele of the same village, to the court saying Ndebele was demanding that she pays back the roora he paid before his marriage to her daughter broke down.
Musiiwa gave the protection order and ordered Ndebele to stop harassing his former mother-in-law.local

Brighton Chiseva

MASVINGO – Runesu Tafirei of Gavure village under Chief Chitanga in Mwenezi recently became the first person to be acquitted of murder in the Masvingo High Court after Justice Joseph Mafusire found him not guilty on charges of killing his brother-in-law.
The court was officially opened last year and it became Zimbabwe’s third High Court tasked with reducing judicial backlogs in a province with some of the highest murder rates in the country.
The accused’s defence counsel, led by Dereck Charamba of Mutendi, Mudisi and Shumba Legal Practitioners, convinced the court that the accused was acting in self-defence when the alleged crime was committed.
In passing the judgement, Justice Mafusire said he had weighed the evidence submitted and came to the conclusion that the accused should be set free.
It was the State’s case that on August 16, 2016, Runesu and Benias Mutovo (the deceased) were at Chavani homestead partaking traditional beer with several other patrons.
At around 16:00 hrs, the two were involved in a fight over a container of beer reserved for the village head and they were restrained by other people before they went their separate ways.
It was heard that Mutovo later returned at Chavani homestead armed with a knife intending to attack Tafirei but did not find him there.
He then followed him to his homestead but on noticing Mutovo, Tafirei fled into his kitchen hut and bolted out when the now deceased pursued him.
Mutovo continued to pursue Tafirei around the scotch cart, the bedroom hut and out of the homestead all the time with the intention of stabbing him.
Tafirei later got tired and picked up a log from the goat pen which he then used to strike Mutovo on the head, killing him instantly.
Tafirei later handed himself to Ngundu Police Station.local

Prince Danda

MBERENGWA – Commercial sex workers in the district have recommended that they be helped to set up a Commercial Sex Workers Pension Fund (CSWPF) which they hope would cushion them against dire poverty when they go out of business.
Speaking at a National Aids Council (Nac) workshop held at Mberengwa offices last week, commercial sex workers present suggested a pension plan that would be dedicated to improving the living standards of sex workers after retirement from the industry.
“We wish to establish our own pension scheme as commercial sex workers. This will go a long way in assisting those of us who go out of business because of old age and illness. The scheme will also have a provision to pay school fees for the relations of those who would have died during the course of this risky business,” proposed a commercial sex worker who identified herself as Snodia Goredema.
Another sex worker, Imelda Hove supported the suggestion saying most commercial sex workers languish in abject poverty after spending years in the sex business.
She suggested that all sex workers should meet and work on setting up the fund with the aid of a lawyer.
“Most commercial sex workers become poverty-stricken soon after they go out of business hence by establishing a pension fund, we would have created a solution against problems associated with life after commercial sex work.
“Remember we also have kids who have to go to school, we should save money so through that scheme, we will be able to pay school fees for them even when we are out of business,” she said.
The sex workers also lamented what they called was unfriendly treatment they get from the communities in which they operate; being labelled as sex mongers and transmitters of HIV and Aids.local