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Woman attacks messenger of court

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KWEKWE — A Kwekwe woman struck a messenger of court with an iron bar while resisting eviction from a company-owned house on Tuesday and now faces up to six months in prison if convicted. Nyarai Tsoka was arrested and appeared in court on Thursday facing charges of assault after she allegedly struck Clayson Muzenza with […]

KWEKWE — A Kwekwe woman struck a messenger of court with an iron bar while resisting eviction from a company-owned house on Tuesday and now faces up to six months in prison if convicted.

Nyarai Tsoka was arrested and appeared in court on Thursday facing charges of assault after she allegedly struck Clayson Muzenza with an iron bar on the head.

Muzenza was enforcing a Bulawayo High Court eviction order issued by Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku on March 21 against her husband Tarisayi Chirimuuta, formerly employed by property owners Homestake Mining and Technical Services.

Chirimuuta and others were dismissed from Homestake Mining and Technical Services after they had engaged in an illegal strike and have been refusing to move out of company houses for the past two years.

According to Deputy Sheriff Energy Pedzera on March 27, Tsoka attempted to fend off eviction by locking all the doors and throwing the keys on the roof of another house, forcing Muzenza to hire a locksmith.

“We served the notice of eviction on March 22 and eviction was due on March 27 yet she was violent and attempted to resist the court orders by attacking our officers,” said Pedzera.

Allegations are that while the locksmith was unlocking the door, Tsoka armed herself with an iron bar and attacked Muzenza with it, striking him on the head.

She also reportedly aimed at the locksmith and a police officer who had accompanied the deputy messenger of court.

The police officer is said to have managed to overpower the woman and arrested her.

Tsoka pleaded not guilty and was remanded out of custody to April 12 on $100 bail.

President of the Association of Deputy Sheriffs and Messengers of Court, Smart Moyo, condemned the alleged attack and warned members of the public attacking a court official was tantamount to attacking the courts themselves.

“We are an arm of the courts and when we execute court orders we will be doing it on behalf of the magistrates and judges who issue those orders . . . attacking officers of the court is a serious offence which attracts not less than six months’ imprisonment,” said Moyo.