A GROUP of placard-waving Gweru residents yesterday demonstrated outside the magistrates’ court following conviction of one of council’s caretaker commissioners, Mark Choga, on assault charges.
BY Stephen Chadenga
Gweru magistrate Florence Nago ordered Choga to pay a $150 fine or serve three months in prison.
Choga assaulted former workers’ committee secretary-general Frank Muzorera at the mayor’s parlour in February this year.
Some of the placards called for city fathers not to beat up residents, while others denounced Choga, saying he was more of a “boxer” than a city administrator.
Gweru Residents and Ratepayers’ Association chairperson Cornelia Selipiwe said residents would approach the courts to have Choga relieved of his duties as they felt their concerns could not be addressed by a convict.
“As residents we thought Local Government minister Saviour Kasukuwere brought us commissioners to run the affairs at council, little did we know he was bringing us boxers,” Selipiwe said.
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“Those who want boxing should challenge Manyuchi (Charles) in the boxing ring. In Gweru, we need development. As residents, we are going to take the matter to the courts to say we can’t work with such a person.”
In delivering judgment, Nago said both the accused and the defence witnesses contradicted themselves on what transpired on the day in question and their inconsistencies left a lot to be desired.
In passing the sentence, she however, said Choga was a first offender who needed to be given an opportunity to reform without being given a custodial sentence, but stressed that assault as a crime was on the increase. Nago said people needed to be discouraged from taking the law into their own hands.
She said it was fortunate that Muzorera did not develop permanent disabilities as a result of the assault. The State’s case was that on February 18, Muzorera and Choga attended a meeting between residents and commissioners.
During the meeting, Muzorera asked Choga how much commissioners earned as allowances and why they were not implementing the recommendations of a government audit report conducted at the local authority.
Choga refused to answer the questions posed by Muzorera and a misunderstanding arose resulting in the former hitting the later once on the shoulder and neck.
