Dudu Manhenga to wait

News
THE High Court yesterday deferred hearing an application for bail pending appeal filed by jailed Afro-jazz singer Dudu Manhenga after it emerged that judge Justice Felistus Chatukuta had not had time to study the supplementary submissions from the artiste’s lawyer Isaiah Mureriwa.

THE High Court yesterday deferred hearing an application for bail pending appeal filed by jailed Afro-jazz singer Dudu Manhenga after it emerged that judge Justice Felistus Chatukuta had not had time to study the supplementary submissions from the artiste’s lawyer Isaiah Mureriwa.

CHARLES LAITON staff REPORTER

Prosecutor Edmore Nyazamba also told the court that he had not been able to file his response to Manhenga’s application timeously since he had gone to attend a colleagues’ funeral on Monday.

Instead, the court is now expected to hear the case today.

Manhenga started serving her 18-month jail term two weeks ago following her conviction for culpable homicide.

The 33-year-old musician was sentenced on her own plea of guilty for accidentally knocking down and killing motorcyclist Graham Martin Millward three years ago.

However, Manhenga wants the court to set aside the sentence arguing that it was “too harsh” on her since she was a first offender.

The High Court application follows a similar application to the Harare Magistrates’ Court which was dismissed by magistrate Blessing Murwisi who ruled that the Bulawayo-born musician’s prospects of success on appeal were slim.

The court heard that Manhenga only had a provisional driver’s licence when she crashed into Millward’s motorcycle along Sherwood Drive in Harare’s Mabelreign suburb in 2010.

Manhenga is said to have failed to give way to Millward as she turned right into the driveway of a residential property in her Toyota Spacio vehicle.

Millward suffered serious injuries which led to his death upon admission at the West End Hospital.