adminAuxilia Katongomara Court Reporter
A CHEEKY Bulawayo woman who fought a kombi crew over R6, resulting in her damaging the vehicle, has lost much more than the small change. She will have to pay $40 restitution for that fracas and briefly lost her freedom after the presiding magistrate whom she had challenged refused to take the court’s authority being questioned.
Loveness Sibanda, 24, was ordered to pay compensation for malicious damage of property and was on Wednesday chucked out of court and briefly detained for challenging the magistrate. She accused the court of trying to “dupe” her and was held at the magistrate’s court holding cells for the claim.
Sibanda of number 23 Nerine Road in Trenance in Bulawayo complained that the court was trying to “dupe” her as she had already compensated the complainant.
Sibanda was asked to compensate the complainant, Thembelani Mhlanga, a rear window of his commuter omnibus after she broke it during an altercation with the conductor over R6 change.
There was drama in court as Sibanda asked why she had to pay $40 through the court when she had already paid the complainant the window valued at $30.
Appearing before Bulawayo magistrate Sibongile Msipa, Sibanda argued why the court was “overpricing” the window when she had bought it for $30. She was then thrown out of court and detained.
Prosecutor Caroline Matanga told the court that on March 21 at 1700 hours the complainant heard the accused having a misunderstanding with his conductor over R6 change and tried to quell the argument.
The accused was asking the conductor to give her change, insisting that he had not given her. The conductor maintained that he had given her and in a rage Sibanda took an empty bottle and hit the rear side window and it broke.
Appearing later before Bulawayo magistrate Tinashe Tashaya, Sibanda, who pleaded guilty to the charge, was ordered to restitute the complainant through the Clerk of Court. She was ordered to bring the complainant to the clerk as evidence that she had indeed paid for the broken window.
Online Reporter