Assault case against Pottery Industries owners postponed again as trial nears one-year mark

The two appeared before provincial magistrate, Ms Anne Ndiraya, who advised them to apply for bail at the High Court

THE assault case involving Pottery Industries (Private) Limited proprietors, father-and-son duo John Farley Pietersen and Liam Farley Pietersen, has suffered yet another setback after proceedings were postponed once more owing to a bereavement, prolonging a matter that has now dragged on for almost a year.

The latest adjournment means the long-running trial, which stems from the alleged assault of Bulawayo businessman and Allied Security founder Mr Bekezela Moyo at the company’s Belmont premises in July last year, remains unresolved despite indications that it was approaching a conclusion.

The repeated postponements have turned the matter into one of the city’s most closely followed court cases, with the complainant still awaiting closure while the accused continue to deny the allegations against them.

Yesterday, the defence informed the court that there had been a bereavement, prompting the matter to be deferred to a later date, June 30.

The postponement comes barely days after expectations that the trial would finally be concluded following months of witness testimonies and lengthy cross-examinations.

According to court records, the incident at the centre of the matter occurred on July 16, 2025, when Mr Moyo, the director of Allied Security Company, visited Pottery Industries in Belmont to establish why one of his security guards had allegedly been prevented from carrying out his duties while gold ore was being processed at the premises.

However, what started as a routine inquiry allegedly degenerated into violence.

The State alleged that Liam pushed Mr Moyo, before John grabbed him from behind and together they allegedly assaulted him with fists all over the body.

The State contends that the pair acted unlawfully and with the intent to cause bodily harm.

Mr Moyo, who previously testified before the court, said he sustained internal injuries as a result of the alleged attack and later sought medical treatment.

During his evidence, he told the court that he had gone to the premises to resolve a misunderstanding involving one of his employees when the situation unexpectedly escalated.

Court proceedings over the past several months have been characterised by dramatic exchanges and intense cross-examinations.

The defence, represented by Mr Sifiso Nkomo, has consistently denied the allegations and argued that Mr Moyo was in fact the aggressor, claiming that he threw the first punch.

At one stage, the presiding magistrate had to intervene during cross-examination after counsel and witnesses became embroiled in heated exchanges.

Another witness, Mr Terrence Dzingire, testified that he had also been shoved and ordered out of the premises during the incident before seeking assistance from Mr Moyo and other security personnel.

The alleged assault subsequently triggered a separate legal dispute after Mr Moyo instituted a US$250 000 defamation suit arising from the circulation of a voice note on WhatsApp which allegedly portrayed him as a convicted armed robber and associated him with criminal activities.

Mr Moyo has maintained that the allegations were malicious and false and that neither he nor his company had any links to criminal syndicates.

Meanwhile, fresh legal troubles have emerged for the senior accused, John Farley Pietersen (66), who recently appeared before Harare magistrate Mrs Jesse Kufa, facing separate fraud charges involving mining assets valued at approximately US$30 million.

Pietersen appeared alongside fellow miner Mr Peter Mark Johnstone on allegations of orchestrating a fraudulent takeover of All Aflame Marketing (Private) Limited, the company that owns the Royal Family mining claims in Filabusi.

According to the State, the complainant is DGL Finance Limited, a Mauritius-based company with a controlling interest in All Aflame Marketing.

Prosecutors allege that the accused deliberately caused court papers to be served at an address they allegedly knew was no longer occupied by the company, resulting in a default judgment being entered in their favour.

The State further alleges that the pair later misrepresented to the Registrar of Companies that two directors had resigned, enabling them to assume control of the company and its assets.

The alleged prejudice is estimated at US$30 million.

Both men were granted bail of US$500 each and remanded to July 24.

The emergence of the fraud case has added another layer to the mounting legal woes confronting Pietersen, who is simultaneously facing criminal proceedings in Bulawayo and Harare.