THE trial of popular Bulawayo black empowerment activist, facing charges of murdering his wife and raping their daughter, was on Friday indefinitely postponed by judge Justice Martin Makonese.
REPORT BY SENIOR COURT REPORTER.
Makonese postponed the matter indefinitely so that it would be allocated more time since it involved a lot of issues, which included six counts of rape and murder. The black empowerment activist (73) pleaded not guilty to the charges.
He is represented by Herbert Shenje, of Shenje and Company.
He faces charges of allegedly murdering his wife, who cannot be named to protect their daughter’s identity, whom he was customarily married to and raping his daughter, who was 12 years then.
The daughter is now 17.
Sometime in 2009, the black empowerment activist was sentenced to seven years in jail for fraud.
On July 6 last year, he was released on home leave from Connemara Open Prison outside Gweru and he went to his house, Number 4 Richard Allen Road in Waterford.
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He discovered that his wife was four months pregnant and they had an argument over the pregnancy and he allegedly assaulted her and she ran away from the house.
He went back to prison and was released on November 2 and when he came to Bulawayo he discovered that his wife had relocated to Lobengula West and he followed her. The State alleges that he demanded to know who was responsible for the pregnancy and allegedly threatened to kill her and the unborn baby.
He allegedly forcibly moved into her lodgings and stayed with her and the State is alleging that she was living in fear, which prompted her on November 13, to visit the Magwegwe police community relations and liaison office, but he allegedly continued with his death threats.
On November 15 last year, at about 3pm, the State alleges that the black empowerment activist, who was now allegedly stalking his partner, went to her workplace at a city hotel and picked her up.
He allegedly forced her to go with him to Bambanani centre where they were both tested for HIV.
The State is alleging that from the centre, he took her to an unknown destination where he allegedly assaulted her with an unknown object.
The following morning, at about 6am, the State alleges that he carried her while she was unconscious and bleeding profusely from injuries she had sustained, to the intersection of Lawley Road and 4th Street in Suburbs.
He called the police and allegedly made a false report that he and his wife had been robbed by four men.
The police attended the scene and the wife was ferried to the United Bulawayo Hospitals, where she died later that day.
According to the post mortem report, she had a ruptured placenta, depressed skull, congested brain and the baby weighing 2,9kg also died as a result of the assault.
