MUTARE - Giles Mutsekwa, embattled Mutare mayor Tatenda Nhamarare and their two accomplices’ trial on charges of assaulting a fellow MDC colleague continued here with two more witnesses pinning the former Housing and Social Amenities minister to the crime.
Mutsekwa is denying any involvement in the assault and says he was not at the crime scene.
Mutare Magistrate Noah Gwatidzo is presiding over the trial.
Noah Masamvu and Comfort Bushiri, who are the State’s second and third witnesses respectively, both claim to have seen the former minister sitting on the driver’s seat of a green Toyota Prado, which was used as a getaway vehicle by Councillor Crispen Dube’s assailants.
Masamvu said he did not hear Mutsekwa saying anything while Bushiri claims the ex-minister was shouting that they will “deal with him” and even “kill him.”
Although Masamvu said he called for help to stop Dube’s assault, he could not place Mayor Nhamarare and Raphael Mutandi on the crime scene but fingered Kingston Mutandi as the chief culprit among “four or five” others, with Bushiri saying he could not identify any of Dube’s assailants.
Masamvu said he had witnessed Dube’s attack as he was looking to hike to his Nyanga home and had no prior knowledge of the identities of all the people in the assault case.
Bushiri on the other hand said he was an MDC member and communicated with Dube just to his assault as he had invited him over to Zesa’s Megawatt Building.
However, Bushiri said on arrival at their supposed rendezvous, he was met with a scene of a mob attacking “someone” he failed to identify.
He said he saw Mutsekwa sitting in the Green Toyota Prado, barking instructions, compelling him to continue with his search of Dube elsewhere.
Although he could not fully explain the method of attack, he only said “Pairohwa munhu! (It was a thorough hiding).”
Bushiri said he neither saw how the attack went nor its end as he was in a hurry, trying to locate the Ward 9 councillor.
The trial continues on January 27, with the defence cross-examining Bushiri before the defence take the witness stand.
Malvern Musarurwa prosecuted.