Zanu PF Masvingo provincial youth leader Delight Mandebvu has made an appeal to Masvingo magistrate Elizabeth Hanzi to transfer his case against former Masvingo mayor Collin Mabuki to courts in other provinces.
Mandibvu appeared before Hanzi to face three counts of assault as well as a reckless driving charge and was remanded in custody until May 21 until he gets a chance to find a lawyer outside Masvingo.
He told the court that his defense revolved around the fact that the local lawyers were avoiding him because the complainant is also a lawyer and the court might rule in his favor because he is always present in court as a lawyer but the judge rejected his confession saying his reasons were not satisfactory.
“I am appealing to the court to allow my case to be tried in other courts outside Masvingo Province because the complainant is a lawyer and therefore the ruling could be in his favour. The ruling can only be fair if the case is heard elsewhere.
“It is difficult for me to be able to hire a lawyer in Masvingo because most of them are colleagues of the complainant,” Mandibvu said.
On the night of the accident that landed him in court, Mandeepvu and Maboki’s cars, which were traveling in different directions, allegedly swiped sides before the car Mandibvu was traveling in turned and stopped Maboki’s car, which his wife was driving.
Mandipvu allegedly got out of his car and began assaulting the former mayor and his wife as well as another passenger who was in the latter’s car.
It is also alleged that during the altercation, a car approached the scene, failed to brake and hit Mandeepvu who was in the middle of the road, seriously injuring him in the process.
Mandibvu denied the accusations and said it was Mabuki who saw his car heading to a restaurant and blocked it.
He said when he realized he was not in the car, the Mabuki continued their journey, and that is when they saw him nearby along the Masvingo-Mutare road.
Mandeepvu claims that Maboki tried to cross the road towards him but he returned to his car, reversed direction and collided with Mandeepvu, who fell to the ground.
He further said that when Mabuki and his accomplices heard that he had been taken to a clinic in Nyika, they followed him there and violently assaulted his wife, mother and a nurse at the health institution.
Mandibvu has since reportedly filed attempted murder charges against Mabuki alleging that he was hit by the latter’s car, and not any other vehicle as reported. Telezem News
