A 40-year-old Masvingo female vendor, Magrate Maromaavabvunza, caused a stir here when she urinated in a male municipal cop’s cap in full view of other officers following her arrest for illegal vending.
The incident occurred on June 10 at the Masvingo Civic Centre.
Maromaavabvunza, of Mucheke high-density suburb, was convicted for assaulting and criminally insulting the municipal policeman, Trynos Nefari, when she appeared before magistrate Makamera Waini this week.
She was slapped with a wholly suspended three-month jail term.
The court heard that on the day in question, Nefari and his two workmates were rounding up illegal street vendors in the populous suburb when they confronted Maromaavabvunza.
According to the State, the cops took away Maromaavabvunza and other vendors’ wares and loaded them into a truck and advised the owners to go and pay fines at the civic centre.
Maromaavabvunza followed to the council headquarters and upon arrival, violently demanded her goods, before slapping Nefari on the cheek, removed his cap and urinated in it in full view of other cops.
The matter was reported to the police, leading to her arrest. In passing sentence, Waini said Maromaavabvunza, who pleaded guilty to the offence, was a female first offender who was widowed and depended on vending to look after her four children.
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The court, however, noted that she lacked respect for authority and injured Nefari’s dignity by urinating in his cap in full view of his workmates.
“She may not be able to pay a fine considering her financial situation. If ordered to perform community sentence, her family would suffer as she would not have time to vend.
“In aggravation, the court notes the seriousness of the offence. The court considers a wholly suspended three-month jail sentence suspended for five years on condition that she will not impair any person’s dignity, failure of which she will be imprisoned without the option of a fine,” said Waini.
Joseph Murambiza appeared for the State.
