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State grills late MP Mahlangu’s uncle over cash withdrawal

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THE State last Friday grilled the late Bulawayo’s Nkulumane legislator, Thamsanqa Mahlangu’s uncle Joachim Mugova on why he withdrew $2 000 from the former deputy Youth minister’s bank account in the dead of the night.

THE State last Friday grilled the late Bulawayo’s Nkulumane legislator, Thamsanqa Mahlangu’s uncle Joachim Mugova on why he withdrew $2 000 from the former deputy Youth minister’s bank account in the dead of the night.

BY SILAS NKALA

Mugova, jointly charged with Mahlangu’s widow, Brenda Zaranyika, are accused of stealing $7 000 from the late legislator’s estate soon after his death in October last year.

The two, through their lawyer Dumisani Dube, have denied the theft charge before Bulawayo magistrate, Gladmore Mushove.

They recently filed an application for discharge, which was dismissed, and they are now appearing in court for their defence.

On Friday, prosecutor Jeremiah Mutsindikwa grilled Mugova on why he rushed to withdraw $2 000 in the middle of the night soon after receiving news of Mahlangu’s death.

Mugova said the money he withdrew was used to buy food for mourners and to pay for funeral costs.

He said the previous day, Mahlangu had advised Zaranyika to tell him to withdraw money for fuel, rentals and workers’ pay, but part of it had to be used for groceries at the funeral.

Mugova admitted withdrawing $2 000 first and later $5 000 saying he was acting on Zaranyika’s orders.

But, Mutsindikwa said it was clear that the two wanted to steal the money, as its owner had died. He said witnesses testified that they never saw the money being used at the funeral.

Mutsindikwa asked Mugova to provide proof of how the money was used during the funeral and he produced a scribbled paper, which the prosecutor dismissed as unauthentic.

Mahlangu’s aunt, Pretty Maphosa, the executor of his estate, dragged Zaranyika and Mugova to court over the alleged theft. She said she had discovered the alleged theft when she got a bank statement in order to register the estate.

Mahlangu succumbed to cancer on October 5, 2015 in Bulawayo and his funeral was marred by chaos, as three families, the Mugovas, the Mahlangus and his biological father’s side, the Sangos fought over his remains.

Mushove remanded the matter to today to allow Zaranyika to present her defence.