George Emmanuel International School principal, Leonard Chiwaya, who kidnapped a contractor and forced him to do freelance work at his home for four days, was yesterday sentenced to two years’ actual imprisonment.
The school is located in Nyabira, about 40 kilometers northwest of Harare.
Chiwaya (56 years old) was found guilty of assault and kidnapping after a full trial before Harare magistrate Ms Caroline Matanga.
A three-year prison sentence was imposed for the kidnapping, but was suspended for one year on the condition of future good behavior upon his eventual release.
For the assault charge, he was given a four-month suspended prison sentence, with the condition that he does not commit a similar offense within the next five years. Chiwaya kidnapped Tinotenda Sephani who came to the school to install lights. Prosecutor Ms Takudzwa Chitendro proved to the court that Chiwaya kidnapped Mr Sevani after falsely accusing him of stealing three laptops and some pairs of school shoes.
Chiwaya, along with Tazifa, another accused who is still at large, accompanied Mr Sevani from George Emmanuel International School to Good Hope, in Harare, where one of the accused resides. Upon his arrival, Mr. Sevani was locked inside a small room and spent the whole night there.
On March 7 last year, Chiwaya’s wife ordered Mr Sivani to clean the yard all day as punishment for stealing laptops and school shoes. Chiwaya then ordered Sevani to be locked in the same room as a means of restricting his movement and ordered him to perform cleaning duties until March 8.
The next day, Mr Sevani was transferred from Goodhope to Bluff Hill in Marlborough, Harare, where he performed duties at the home of Chiwaya’s wife’s younger sister until approximately 4pm.
That’s when Chiwaya’s wife confronted Mr Sivani about the stolen goods and he denied stealing anything.
Then Chiwaya slapped him in the face.
Mr Sivani managed to escape while at Chiwaya’s sister-in-law’s house and fled to Westgate where he later lodged a police report.
In sentencing her, Judge Matanga noted that Chiwaya, who was involved in the school robbery, attempted to exploit the kidnapping and blame the crime on Mr Sevani.
She also indicated that Shiwaya assaulted him with an electric cable and injured him. Announce
