A HARARE magistrate yesterday rapped the lawyer representing Studio 263 actor Tafadzwa Tandi (31) — popularly known as Hillary Indi — for seeking a postponement of the matter in which the actor is facing allegations of defrauding a Harare couple of $20 000 in a botched wedding deal.
PHILLIP CHIDAVAENZI SENIOR REPORTER
Magistrate Elijah Makomo urged defence lawyer Michael Zvenyika to be diligent and respect the court. But he eventually issued the postponement as the court’s discretion as it was overwhelmed with other matters.
“Counsel is urged to be diligent. These courts are different from other courts. We don’t give such remands on a silver platter in these courts,” he said. “The court is overwhelmed and it is difficult to reschedule matters.”
The matter was subsequently remanded to September 18. Indi is out of custody on $200 bail.
Zvenyika made the application for further postponement claiming that the State had not furnished him with the requisite papers with the exception of the charge sheet and State outline.
Prosecutor Molyn Mutamangira-Mavhondo, however, insisted that they had supplied the defence with all the documentation.
She alleged that Tandi — who played the role of James in the country’s first-ever television soapie — lied to the couple that he was the one who put together President Robert Mugabe’s daughter Bona’s wedding held in March.
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He is said to have charged the couple, whose names were not disclosed in the State papers, $1 000 so that he could organise their wedding. Tandi allegedly claimed that he was employed at a local hotel.
Further allegations are that he pegged the total wedding expenses at $30 000 and the couple raised the budget further to $40 000.
The court heard that Tandi was paid $23 000 in cash and pledged to issue the receipts for all his expenditure.
He is said to have submitted a list of payments he claimed to have made using a notepad bearing the letterhead of a company named Miracle Magic Wedding.
