BY BRENNA MATENDERE
A STATE witness in a case of public violence involving MDC MP for Chiwundura constituency, Livingstone Chimina, was yesterday accused by the legislator’s lawyer of being an implant of the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) coached to give fabricated evidence against the opposition MP.
This was after Rumbidzai Waungana, pitched up to give evidence on the case having been again a chief witness in another case in which Chimina was acquitted of inciting violence during the January 2019 fuel price hike protests.
In the latest case in which Waungana is a witness, Chimina together with a Gweru City Council employee, Charles Machangira, and bus company supervisor Leticia Mteliso are accused of assaulting a Zanu PF youth, Thomas Moyo on January 10 last year after he had invaded Kudzanayi bus terminus rank together with other ruling party youths to illegally collect parking fees from buses.
However, during cross-examination before magistrate Tavengewa Sangster, Chimina’s lawyer Wellington Davira asked Waungana to explain how she had become a witness in the two separate cases involving his client.
“Is it by coincidence that you happened to be a witness in the two cases involving the MP; one which happened in Mkoba and another at Kudzanayi rank in town on different dates? How come you were there at those scenes right when the alleged crimes happened?” he asked.
In response, Waungana said she enjoyed following up on issues to do with breaking of the law.
She, however, gave conflicting answers to further questions and at one time claimed she was unable to read anything written in English after she had been asked to explain why her statement to the police was different from her testimony in court.
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“I gave my statement to the police and they wrote it in English. I cannot read English so I just signed it, that is why what is they may be different from what I am saying,” she said.
In her evidence, Waungana said she saw Chimina assaulting Moyo with a machete on the day in question. She added Chimina was in the company of a 100 other people who took turns to assault Moyo.
She, however, could not explain why Moyo in his own testimony said he never suffered injuries from the assault.
Waungana also failed to describe the clothes the MP was wearing or say whether he was putting on a head-gear or not.
“I want to put it to you that you have been coached and you are giving fabricated evidence for reasons best known to yourself. MP Chimina on that day never visited Kudzanayi rank and you never saw him,” Davira said.
The trial will continue on Monday.
Namatirai Chipere represented the State.
