HARARE - Prosecutor Editor Mavuto on Wednesday accused murder suspect Pritchard Zimondi of perjury, after he gave contradicting statements pertaining to the sequence of events.
Zimondi is accused of murdering his girlfriend Monalisa Chinomona in Chitungwiza in April 2012 by stabbing her with a kitchen knife .
The State avers that when he was arrested, he was found in possession of his late girlfriend’s panties and bra or brassier.
Zimondi, while defending himself, said he had bought the pant and bra from his aunt in Cranborne West as a sample for his girlfriend.
Mavuto, however, said this was not what he had initially told the court when he applied for bail.
He said Zimondi had earlier on told the court in his bail statement that he had bought the items in town. He later filed a supplementary affidavit, where he claimed that he bought the items in Gweru.
The pant and bra were produced in court as exhibits, together with the kitchen knife which was allegedly used in committing the murder, forcing Chinomona’s mother to break down in court.
Zimondi denied murdering his girlfriend of five years, claiming that Chinomona’s other boyfriend could be the one who killed her.
He said he got to know of his girlfriend’s death after his arrest, saying on the fateful day, he had travelled to Gweru.
“I was shocked. I was traumatised after receiving the news,” Zimondi told High Court Judge Hlekani Mwayera.
The case continues next Monday.
The State closed its case after leading evidence from 11 witnesses in the trial which began in May last year.
Zimondi has been on remand for close to two years, after his trial was postponed on several occasions for different reasons.
Mavuto said the fatal incident took place after Zimondi had a misunderstanding with his 19-year-old girlfriend.
Allegations are that on the fateful day, Zimondi went over to Chinomona’s place where he found her alone in her bedroom.
He allegedly stabbed Chinomona with a kitchen knife on her left breast, before fleeing from the scene.
He is represented by Harare lawyer Norman Mugiya.