HEADMAN Fungai Mushonga from Chief Saunyama’s area in Nyanga, who was jailed in November last year, is now a free man after the Mutare High Court overturned his conviction.
Mushonga (49) was jailed five months late last year by Nyanga magistrate Notebulgar Muchineripi for violating section 48 of the Traditional Leaders Act, which makes it a criminal offence to hinder a traditional leader from executing his mandate.
Muchineripi had ruled that Mushonga unlawfully interfered with Chief Saunyama born Solomon Mapuranga’s work by appointing seven villagers to serve as messengers of
court.
He was also found guilty of authorising them to obtain identity cards without the chief’s approval.
However, Justice Isaac Muzenda said there was no evidence linking Mushonga to the alleged crime.
“The facts of the matter, as well as the reasoning of the trial court, do not prove the version of the appellant is beyond reasonable doubt given the nature of the defence witness' evidence that the chief instructed him to appoint chief messengers,” Muzenda ruled.
Mushonga said he felt relieved despite serving three months and 16 days in jail.
- Nyanga headman’s conviction overturned
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“I was in jail for no reason. I was in jail for three months and 16 days, I did not do anything but it is God’s work that I have no case to answer,” he said.
