Indecent assault teacher judgment today

NYANGA provincial magistrate Mr Ignatio Mhene is today (Friday) expected to deliver his long- awaited judgment in the case in which Mordecai Mungira, a teacher at Sahumani Primary School, is facing 14 counts of indecently assaulting pupils. Mungira (27), who is represented by Rusape-based senior lawyer Mr Maxwell Chiwanza, of Chiwanza and Partners Legal Practitioners, has entered a plea of not guilty.

Mr Chiwanza argued that the charges were fabricated to fix him as there was bad blood between him and the acting head, Mr Basil Chibada, who was cited in court to have coerced at least four pupils into making false reports against his client.

All the 14 pupils that Mungira is accused of kissing and fondling their manhood testified before Mr Mhene.
Four of them denied having been abused and revealed that they were coerced into making the allegations by Chibada.

The other victims maintained their stance and gave incriminating evidence by explaining how they were abused in court.
Mr Chibada is the one who made a report to the police after being approached by the victims.

Senior teachers at the school Messrs A. M. Chifodya, Agrippa Chimene and one Nyakutombwa also testified during the trial that has spanned more than a year.

Mr Chiwanza argued that his client, who was a Grade Five teacher at the commission of the offence, communicated well with his pupils.
The lawyer added that his client also has a good rapport with other pupils at the school, though he does not teach them.

Mr Chiwanza told the court that his client gives his pupils incentives such as sweets, ball-points and exercise books to encourage them to compete and do well.

“(It is) some of his workmates who have made these allegations and are coercing and encouraging the complainants to give the false statements and accusations against him,” argued Mr Chiwanza.

The prosecution argued that Mungira abused the minors and threatened them with unspecified action.
The delivery of judgment will bring finality to the matter that was allegedly committed in 2012.