LUPANE — The trial of Matabeleland North senior Zanu PF official John Roberts Khumalo, facing a charge of theft of two diesel-powered water pumps, failed to kick off last week after the politician failed to bring his defence witnesses to court.
Khumalo, who is Zanu PF provincial secretary for legal affairs, allegedly stole two pumps left in his custody when he was a ward councillor in Jotsholo. He allegedly sold the pumps, worth $7 600, to Zipra Veterans’ Trust chairman Buster Magwizi and a Gwayi safari operator, Cristal Dube.
The pumps had been donated to the community by the Norwegian Development Agency (Norad).
The State alleges Khumalo intended to permanently deprive the community of its donated property.
But Khumalo (58) has denied the charge, claiming Matabeleland North Governor Thokozile Mathuthu, provincial administrator Lathiso Dlamini and district administrator Christopher Dube would vouch for him.
The court then granted him permission to bring the three to court so they could defend him. After none of his three witnesses and lawyer Solomon Mguni failed to appear in court, magistrate Takudzwa Gwazemba remanded the case to Thursday this week.
In January, the court turned down Khumalo’s application for discharge saying the State had proved it had a prima facie case against him. Khumalo told the court during cross- examination that he took custody of the pumps for safekeeping and later decided to lend them out following skirmishes among community leaders.
He said he intended to hand them back after the situation had normalised. Khumalo said he approached governor Mathuthu, Dlamini and Dube to lend them the pumps, but all turned down his offer.
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“They all snubbed me such that if it was a matter of death I would have died alone,” said Khumalo.
Khumalo said he later lent the pumps to Magwizi and Dube. But Magwizi told the court Khumalo sold him one of the pumps claiming he wanted to fundraise for his daughter’s wedding. Khumalo is out of custody on $100 bail.
