A 38-YEAR-OLD commuter omnibus driver from Mkoba high-density suburb in Gweru was sentenced to 210 hours of community service after being convicted of ridiculing a police officer by saying he could not afford to pay the R5 trip fare as cops earned very little. OWN CORRESPONDENT
Gweru magistrate Sithembiso Ncube initially sentenced Shoniwa to nine months in prison for undermining police authority, but suspended three months for five years on condition of good behaviour.
A further six months was suspended on condition he performed 210 hours of community service at Mudavanhu Zimcare Trust in Gweru.
It was the State’s case that on August 23 2013 the complainant, Daniel Laini, a cop based at Senga, boarded a kombi at the Wimpy rank in town.
Shoniwa asked Laini if he had the R5 for the trip to Senga and he responded in the affirmative.
The State said Shoniwa went on to shout at Laini saying cops had a tendency of not paying commuter fares.
He went on to say cops worked day and night, but could not pay fares since they were used, but earned little in salaries that could not sustain them.
