TWO Harare men who attempted to set Zimbabwe’s ambassador to Botswana Thomas Mandigora’s Highfield house on fire over his alleged failure to invite them to annual parties held at the house have appeared in court facing charges of attempted murder.
REPORT BY PHILLIP CHIDAVAENZI
Richard Kwejo (57) and Marlon Chibwana (27) were remanded in custody to November 8 when they appeared before magistrate Elijah Makomo.
The two are facing five counts of attempted murder as defined under Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act section 189 as read with section 47.
Prosecutor Tungamirai Chakurira alleged that on October 18, 2013 at about 2 o’clock in the afternoon, the two suspects together with an accomplice identified as Misheck Njumbani, hatched a plan to petrol bomb house number 3155 along Jabavu Drive, Old Highfield, Harare, belonging to Mandigora.
The court heard that the three men were aggrieved by the diplomat’s alleged failure to invite them to parties that he holds annually at the residence and his alleged unwillingness to associate with his neighbours.
The accused are alleged to have met at Kwejo’s house where he supplied beer bottles, sand, pebbles and wicks, while Chibwana supplied four litres of petrol. Njumbani, the court heard, used the supplied materials to manufacture two Molotov cocktail devices which he left at Kwejo’s home.
Further allegations are that at around 6pm, Njumbani, who is Mandigora’s neighbour, confronted Edmore Karipi (31), a caretaker at the diplomat’s house and questioned him on why they were never invited to the parties.
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He asked the caretaker what he would do if the house caught fire.
The court heard that the following day at around 2am, Kwejo and Chibwana, together with Njumbani, took turns to throw the missiles in an attempt to set the house on fire.
Mandigora was asleep in the main bedroom, while Lindah Phiri (43), Ratchel Mary Sekerani (84) and Agatha Theresa Chaenzera (56) were asleep in the other rooms. Karipi was asleep in the cottage behind the main house.
Mandigora woke up and alerted others that there was a fire outside.
They managed to put off the fire using water and sand, the court heard.
Mandigora noticed that the Molotov cocktails were made of Heineken, Castle Lite and Hunters’ Gold beer bottles.
On October 24, the accused were arrested at their places of residence.
