HARARE - Three men accused of petrol bombing Zimbabwe envoy to Botswana Thomas Mandigora’s Highfield house have been freed.
Harare magistrate Donald Ndirowei released Boroma Kwedyo, 57, Marlon Tunga Chibwana, 27, and Miseck Njumbani on January 2, after the State failed to furnish the court with a trial date.
“The State has failed to provide a trial date within a reasonable time and I hereby object to further remand of accused persons,” Ndirowei ruled.
“State will have to proceed by way of summons.”
Prosecutor Sharon Mashavira had initially applied for postponement of the matter saying they were awaiting forensic evidence.
She argued accused persons had been on remand for a reasonable period of barely two months.
The three had been in custody since October 25 last year and applied for refusal of further remand through their lawyer Emmanuel Nyambuya, who argued that their long stay in remand prison had been an obstruction of justice.
Mashavira told the court Kwedyo and Chibwana together with their accomplice Miseck Njumbani connived to petrol bomb stand number 3155 Jabavu Drive, Old Highfield on October 18 last year.
It is alleged that the pair was angry that Mandigora was not inviting them to parties he held annually at his house.
They allegedly met at Kwedyo’s house who allegedly supplied beer bottles, sand, pebbles and wicks while Chibwana allegedly provided four litres of petrol.
It was the State case that Njumbani allegedly used the materials to manufacture two petrol bombs.
The court heard on the day in question, Njumbani confronted the ambassador’s caretaker Edmore Karipi and asked why they were not being invited to parties.
He allegedly asked Karipi what he would do if their house caught fire.
The following day, Kwedyo and Chibwana allegedly took turns to hurl petrol bombs at Mandigora’s house, intending to set it ablaze.
Mandigora woke up and alerted other occupants about the fire which had started on the drive way, near his Mercedes Benz.
The occupants managed to put out the fire.
Mashavira told the court Mandigora realised that the petrol bombs were made of Heineken, Castle Lite and Hunters Gold beer bottles.
Kwedyo and Chibwana were arrested at their places of residence.