By Perpetua Murungweni
In a sudden turn and twist of events, the Zanu PF Masvingo Youth Chairperson Delight Mandebvu was left with no legal representation after his lawyer vanished and was nowhere to be seen in court.
The lawyer, Tatenda Chimbadzwa, who was defending Mandebvu in an assault case where he allegedly beats up Masvingo Mayor Collen Maboke, failed to show up for continuation of trial after the matter was adjourned to after lunch on Monday July 8.
When asked by the magistrate Franklin Mkwananzi about his lawyer’s whereabouts, he told the court that his lawyer had liaised with the state prosecutor for the postponement of trial since he had other business to attend to.
“My lawyer told me that he made arrangements with the prosecutor to postpone the trial that is why he is not around,” said Mandebvu.
However, the prosecutor Godknows Mugondo dismissed the claim saying he did not recall making such an arrangement with the accused’s defense lawyer.
“This is a lie; I don’t remember talking to his lawyer and it is not my duty to grant a postponement of a trial, the defense counsel was present when the court adjourned and it was announced that it will resume at 14.15pm. I would like to believe that the accused person’s lawyer is a legal personnel and he knows that a postponement application is made in the court and granted with the magistrate,” said Mugondo.
The magistrate asked Mandebvu if he wished to continue trial without his lawyer and he agreed before the matter was later postponed July 15.
The case has been dragged for a long time now with the accused person coming up with one excuse after the other. At one point Mandebvu told the court that he wanted to look for a lawyer outside Masvingo because the lawyers around were friends with Maboke, hence, they were compromised.
It is the State’s case that on March 2, 2024 Mandebvu allegedly assaulted former Masvingo City Mayor Collen Maboke and his wife after the latter’s car side-swapped a Zanu PF vehicle in which Mandebvu was travelling in along the Masvingo-Mutare high way.
