THE trial of Hwange businessman and chairman of the Hwange Business Association, Themba Chauke Mlilo, who is facing three counts of stealing cattle from a fellow businessman, resumed last week at Hwange Magistrates’ Court after he was dumped by his lawyer.
TINASHE MUNGAZI OWN CORRESPONDENT Mlilo — who runs restaurants and a butchery — last week shocked the court when he claimed that he did not understand why he was abruptly brought to court before asking the magistrate to allow him to look for another lawyer after being ditched by one he had failed to pay.
Mlilo expressed surprise at being brought to court without being given any papers only to find his lawyer absent. When questioned by Hwange provincial magistrate Lindiwe Maphosa why his lawyer had failed to turn up, he said he suspected it had to do with payment.
“Your worship, I’m surprised to have been brought here abruptly without being given papers stating my offence and besides that my lawyer is not here,” Mlilo said.
“I think it has to do with my failure to pay him. May this honourable court give me time to look for another lawyer.”
His case was remanded to today.
The court heard that on November 16 last year, Mlilo connived with Phillimon Lungu to unlawfully take and slaughter a black bull for the accused’s restaurant.
Lungu then recruited Costa Madzore, both of whom have been convicted for the same offence, and headed for Madumabisa grazing area where they drove a black bull belonging to Dumisani Duma Nkomo to Mlilo’s homestead.
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They slaughtered the bull and Mlilo gave Lungu $100 for the beast instead of $200 they had agreed on.
The beast was valued at $1 500 and nothing was recovered.
Prosecutor Onias Nyathi said on November 28 2014, at around 7am, Mlilo using Lungu and Madzore stole another bull from the same herd at Madumabisa grazing area before slaughtering it at his homestead.
On another occasion on December 3 2014 at around 6am, another brown heifer was driven to Mlilo’s homestead where it was slaughtered.
After failing to pay Lungu and Madzore in cash, Mlilo gave them the heifer’s head, before the two took and sold it to Hendrieta Muntanga where it was positively identified as belonging to one of the missing beasts.
