A COMPANY director in Bulawayo yesterday appeared in court for allegedly violently confronting a police biker who was part of President Robert Mugabe’s motorcade after he had arrested his colleague for interfering with the motorcade.
Report by the Senior Court Reporter
Newton Mlotshwa (58), director of Nemaks Civil Engineering, was not asked to plead to charges of assaulting or resisting a peace officer as defined in Section 176 of the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act when he appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Tawanda Muchemwa.
He was granted $100 bail and will return to court on November 27 for routine remand.
The State had opposed bail, arguing that it wanted to make consultations before responding to the application.
It also said Mlotshwa was not a good candidate for bail since he had tried to flee from police. However, his lawyer argued he was a law abiding citizen and a good candidate for bail.
Charges against Mlotshwa are that last Friday at Ascot shopping centre along Gwanda Road at around midday, a sergeant Jeche, who is a biker with the Presidential Escorts Unit, arrested Prayer Gavhanga for failing to pull off the road to give way to Mugabe’s motorcade, which was heading to the National University of Science and Technology.
Mlotshwa, who was a passenger in the vehicle being driven by Gavhanga, did not take kindly to the arrest. He allegedly pushed Jeche from his motorbike and violently held the bike preventing him from taking off.
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It was alleged that Mlotshwa removed keys from the motorbike’s ignition demanding to know why Jeche had arrested his colleague. Jeche was only rescued by soldiers who were part of the motorcade and Mlotshwa was arrested.
Gavhanga appeared in court on Monday before magistrate Evelyn Mashawakure facing charges of contravening Section 72 (1) of the Road Traffic Act (failing to comply with lawful instructions given by a police officer controlling traffic).
He was released on $50 bail.
