A 21-YEAR-OLD Mutoko man, who allegedly murdered a Roman Catholic Church nun while she was praying at a shrine near Mutemwa last year, yesterday threatened to kill a Harare magistrate for indicting him to the High Court for trial.
BY DESMOND CHINGARANDE
Enoch Potani of Chouriri Village was indicted to the High Court for trial on November 12 by Harare magistrate Rumbidzai Mugwagwa. He tried to jump from the dock and kill her, claiming that he was a mental patient. Potani said the magistrate was violating his rights by forcing him to go to trial despite his mental health problem.
Potani allegedly murdered Plaxedes Kamundiya (49), a teacher at Hartmann House and threw her body into a nearby dam.
“I don’t want to go for that trial at the High Court. I am a mental patient. Everyone at home and at remand prison knows that I am a mental patient who takes pills. Go ahead with your indictment, but I will bewitch you and you will die inside your blanket and you will look for me,” Potani threatened.
“You magistrates, you are in the habit of violating mental patients’ rights in court, and we will refuse to come to court and see who you will try.”
More than five prison officers then grabbed him and escorted him to the cell.
According to court papers, Kamundiya went to the Mother of Peace community in Mutoko on a tour to assess preparations for a school visit by St George’s College mass servers.
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Kamundiya was welcomed by Juliet Haurovi and the two had discussions before touring the centre.
During the tour, Kamundiya was also told about the Blue Cross, popularly known as the Glorious Cross of Life, and she expressed an interest to visit the shrine before returning to Harare.
The State alleges she then went to the shrine, about 80 metres from the Mother of Peace community, leaving Haurovi behind.
After realising that Kamundiya had taken long to return, Haurovi sent two teenagers to look for her, but they could not locate her.
It later emerged that Potani had been seen at the same shrine.
The following day, Panganayi Robert and Givemore Chibanda of Mutemwa Leprosy Centre joined in the search and found Kamundiya’s body floating on Mutemwa Dam.
The matter was reported to the police, who retrieved the body and proceeded to interview Potani, who confessed the murder.
