A 30-YEAR-OLD Harare tout, Newton Popi, who was arrested in connection with the death of a Mutare hiker on Tuesday at an undesignated bus terminus near Roadport, yesterday appeared at the magistrates’ court facing a murder charge.
BY DESMOND CHINGARANDE/Kenneth Nyangani
Popi, a conductor with Smart Bus Company, was not asked to plead when he appeared before magistrate, Josephine Sande, who remanded him in custody and advised him to approach the High Court for bail.
It is the State’s case that on the day in question, Popi and his accomplices, who are still at large, allegedly dragged Matthias Gore into their bus at the same time assaulting him with clenched fists on the ribs, as he was attempting to resist boarding the said vehicle.
The State alleges Gore was later rescued by police officers and when he boarded another bus, Boltcutter Bus Company, he then collapsed and died.
The State alleges many witnesses, who saw Popi dragging and assaulting Gore together with his accomplices, were available to testify in court.
Meanwhile, a member of the United Family International Church, Munyaradzi Taonezvi (40) also appeared at Mutare Magistrates’ Court facing a murder charge after allegedly assaulting a drunken man, accusing him of being a thief.
Taonezvi allegedly bludgeoned the man with a hockey stick, which broke into two pieces before demonstrating his anger by firing two gunshots into the air.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
Taonezvi was not asked to plead when he appeared before magistrate, Perseverance Makala, who remanded him to October 12 on $100 bail.
According to the State, on September 15 this year and at around 8pm, the now-deceased, who is not named in the court papers, was on his way home, when Taonezvi’s wife, who was alone at home, suspected him of being a thief and alerted her husband.
Taonezvi then contacted a neighbour and requested him to go over to his house and inquire about the suspected thief.
Taonezvi’s friend, who sought the company of another neighbour, took with him a hockey stick, as a weapon to confront the suspected thief.
The two neighbours confronted the now-deceased, who said he had lost his way and that he was drunk.
But when Taonezvi arrived he allegedly snatched the hockey stick and indiscriminately attacked the man and on September 24 this year, the man succumbed to the injuries.
