Online Reporter
Peter Matika,[email protected]
THE courtroom fell silent as the long-awaited trial of Pottery Industries (Pvt) Ltd owners, father-and-son John Farley and Liam Farley Pieterson, opened at the Bulawayo Magistrates’ Courts.
What began as a routine inquiry over security duties at their Belmont premises has spiraled into a high-profile assault case involving prominent Bulawayo businessman, Mr Bekezela Moyo.
The matter, already drawing intense public interest, has now been adjourned to November 26, but not before dramatic testimony and tense exchanges electrified the courtroom.
Mr Moyo, who owns Allied Security Company, took the witness stand first.
Calm but visibly weighed down by the memory, he told the court how a simple visit on 16 July 2025 allegedly turned violent.
He said the Pietersons confronted him moments after he arrived to ask why one of his security personnel had been barred from duty while gold ore was being processed on the premises.
What followed, he said, was a sudden and brutal attack.
“They lifted me violently then punched me,” said Mr Moyo, adding that he later discovered he had sustained internal injuries from the scuffle.
The State’s prosecutor, Mr Sam Mpofu, painted an equally vivid picture.
“Accused number two pushed the complainant and accused number one grabbed him from behind, dragging him out of the premises before assaulting him,” said Mr Mpofu.
But the Pietersons, represented by Mr Sifiso Nkomo of Nkomo and Sibanda Legal Practitioners, denied every allegation.
According to their version, it was Mr Moyo who “threw the first punch,” forcing them to defend themselves.
The courtroom atmosphere thickened during the intense two-day cross-examination that followed.
At one point, presiding magistrate Mr Themba Chimiso sternly cautioned Mr Nkomo, warning him to remain within the boundaries of relevant questioning and to avoid antagonising the witness.
By last Thursday, the drama escalated with the arrival of the second witness, Mr Terrence Dzingire, who claimed he was also assaulted during the same confrontation.
Mr Dzingire said he was ordered to vacate the premises by the Pietersons before being forcefully shoved outside.
“When tempers flared, I phoned Mr Moyo and called for security backup,” he said, recounting the chaos of the moment.
His testimony, however, is far from concluded. The defence is set to cross-examine him when the trial resumes, a session expected to be as charged as the last.
For now, the case rests, leaving Bulawayo eagerly anticipating the next chapter in a courtroom saga that shows no signs of cooling down.
