Cephas Shava
MWENEZI – A man who reportedly impregnated a married woman and allegedly instigated her husband’s arrest on charges of unlawful entry has been left disappointed after the magis-trate court acquitted him.
Freddy Mandebvu was the complainant in a case involving brothers Joseph and Godfrey Hlanga both of whom were set free by magistrate Honest Musiiwa.
The two brothers, of Plot 17 Altornburg under Chief Chitanga, pleaded not guilty to charges of unlawful entry into premises.
They argued that they were framed by Mandebvu and his wife Evelyn Madya because they had reported him to Chief Chitanga’s court for impregnating Joseph’s wife.
On her part, Madya blamed Joseph for his wife’s infidelity, saying she was bound to have extra-marital affairs since Joseph had spent a long time away from home.
“You went to South Africa for three years and did not return and how would you have ex-pected your wife to get love and a livelihood?” said Madya.
She said her husband Mandebvu had started to see Joseph’s wife who was now doing piece jobs for them to fend for herself as Joseph had neglected her.
It was the State’s case, as presented by prosecutor Willard Chasi, that last year on October 6 at around 21:00 hrs, Godfrey approached Mandebvu and his wife who were at a church ser-vice.
He began to threaten them, taunting Mandebvu for impregnating Joseph’s wife.
The court heard that Godfrey was later restrained by other congregants and was forced to leave but he later teamed up with Joseph and went to the complaint’s homestead where they destroyed property including a TV set, speakers and cups valued at US$393.
They got away with US$300 cash which they found in the room. That same night, the com-plainant saw the duo leaving her homestead after committing the offence.
A report was made to the police leading to Joseph and Godfrey’s arrest.local
