Court Correspondent
THE trial of CCC Member of Parliament for Sunningdale Constituency, Maureen Kademaunga, Councillor Clayd Mashozhera and two other accomplices on three attempted murder charges, continued yesterday with the State leading evidence from the second witness.
Kademaunga, Mashozhera, Noel Munhuwei and Daudi Jessub are facing three counts of attempted murder and one count of malicious damage to property.
The incident occurred on August 22 last year ahead of the harmonised elections that were held on August 23 and 24.
In his evidence-in-chief, the witness Cde Spencer Mudarikwa who is a ZANU PF member, narrated to the court how the four suspects teamed up to assault him and his two colleagues.
His evidence corroborated with that of the first witness, Cde Cyril Nyauchi, who was the aspiring Ward 10 Councillor for ZANU PF in Sunningdale.
"It was on August 22, 2023 at around 11pm when we were moving around with Mr Nyauchi and Mr Artwell Marwa distributing food to election agents as we had failed to do it earlier on.
"When we got to Metro Peech (Wholesalers) main entrance at Corner Seke Road and Boshoff Drive in Sunningdale 1, Harare, we were blocked by a vehicle that came from behind and it was travelling at high speed," he said.
Cde Mudarikwa said two more vehicles blocked them and they could not proceed.
He said he was only able to identify the Mark X and it used to be driven by Munhuwei.
He then explained how the assault unfolded.
"Nyauchi opened the window wanting to find out what was happening since we had been blocked that is when Munhuwei disembarked from the Mark X then approached us," he said.
Cde Mudarikwa said it was Kademaunga who instructed that they be assaulted.
"Then Kademaunga disembarked (and) she shouted 'rovai vanhu veZANU PF imbwa dzevanhu'," he said.
Cde Mudarikwa also alleged that it was Munhuwei who took Cde Nyauchi's car keys from ignition and said "l told you that my issue will not end just like that". Munhuwei allegedly went on to smash the front wind screen with an iron bar.
From the Honda Fit, Jessub came out but there were many people, thought to be around seven; that is when Mr Marwa and Cde Nyauchi went out of the vehicle to enquire what the problem was and they were also severely assaulted.
Cde Mudarikwa said the vehicle was tinted and he was occupying the back seat and the assailants didn't realise he was inside.
Mashozhera then smashed the back seat window and realised Cde Mudarikwa was inside.
"Jessub said let's burn the vehicle whilst I was inside. There is something that they threw at the front of the vehicle, but l don't know what it was.
"I saw him with fire and he threw fire inside the car and then l realised l had to face what was coming my way; death or life.
"When l came out, accused three (Jessub) was holding a small axe and said 'he is still young, if you don't cut or break his leg, he will run away' then he started using the back of the axe to hit my legs and l started bleeding whilst others were beating me all over the body with a syjambok, button sticks, and others things."
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Cde Mudarikwa sustained injuries as a result of the attack.
During cross examination, defence lawyer Mr Tapiwa Muchineripi asked why Cde Mudarikwa omitted some of the information he said in his police statement.
Cde Mudarikwa said he narrated everything to police in Shona and they chose to summarise it in English.
He advised the court to rely on his evidence-in-chief.
Prosecutor Ms Heather Muwokoto applied that she tenders the blood stained blue jean trousers Cde Mudarikwa was wearing on the day of the alleged attack, but defence lawyers, Messrs Muchineripi and Harrison Nkomo, objected arguing that they were not served with that before trial.
However, presiding regional magistrate Mrs Estere Chivasa ruled that the jean trousers be tendered as previously, defense lawyers objected to similar evidence on the basis that it was irrelevant to the case.
Cross-examination is expected to continue on May 27.
