By Perpetua Murungweni
After months of delays and excuses, Zanu PF Masvingo provincial youths chairperson Delight Mandebvu’s court was finally concluded, with magistrate Franklin Mukwanazi sentencing him to two years in prison.
However, Mkwananzi wholly suspended the jail term after considering that the accused suffered a broken leg, which medical reports indicated was permanently damaged, during the scuffle. The suspended sentence was also on condition that Mandebvu does not commit a similar offense for the next five years.
It was the State’s case as presented by prosecutor Godknows Mugondo that on March 2, 2024 Mandebvu assaulted former Masvingo City Mayor Collen Maboke and his wife after the latter’s car side-swapped the vehicle in which Mandebvu was traveling in along the Masvingo-Nyika road.
Mandebvu turned and pursued Maboke’s vehicle that was being driven by his wife and blocked it after 10km and he, together with his associates started beating up the two.
The case dragged for a long time as the accused person has been coming up with one excuse after another.
At one point Mandebvu, went on to file attempted murder charges against Maboke alleging that he was hit by Maboke’s vehicle, not by any other vehicle as was reported.
The other time 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.
