Online Reporter
Court Correspondent
The judgment in the case of a former corporate manager accused of kidnapping and assaulting a workmate in an alleged bid to conceal fraudulent activities has been set for September 1.
Simbarashe Emmanuel Martin Rondozai is accused of kidnapping David Matanda, a former workmate at Real Star Security, in May last year.
Harare magistrate Mr Tapiwa Kuhudzai set the judgment date after the State completed cross-examining Rondozai this week.
Both the prosecution and defence, led by Mr Oliver Marwa, are expected to file written submissions by August 27 before the court delivers its judgment.
During cross-examination by prosecutor Ms Monalisa Magwenzi, Rondozai acknowledged that Matanda knew him well, having worked with him for about eight years, and was therefore capable of identifying him.
Rondozai, however, denied ever going to Matanda’s house or committing the alleged offences, insisting that the State witnesses were lying.
He argued that the State had failed to provide the exact date on which the alleged offence occurred, saying this had prejudiced his ability to provide an alibi.
Rondozai further claimed that his arrest had been instigated by management at Real Star Security.
The State, however, maintained that Rondozai had a motive to kidnap Matanda because the complainant allegedly had information about fraudulent activities at the company.
Ms Magwenzi told the court that the kidnapping was intended to intimidate Matanda into withholding information about the alleged fraud.
She further argued that forensic evidence extracted from Rondozai’s cellphone did not exonerate him from the alleged offence.
Rondozai maintained that the State had failed to establish when the offence allegedly occurred and that he could therefore not account for his whereabouts on the day in question.
During the trial, the State called Matanda’s 17-year-old brother and his wife, Catherine Satande, as witnesses.
The State alleges that Rondozai kidnapped and assaulted Matanda in May last year in an attempt to prevent him from exposing the alleged misappropriation of funds at Real Star Security.
Following the alleged kidnapping, Matanda reportedly fled to South Africa and returned home on December 16, 2025.
He only reported the matter to the police on February 19 this year. Rondozai’s four alleged accomplices remain at large.
Meanwhile, Rondozai is facing a separate charge of defrauding Wellcash Debt Collectors of nearly US$11 000 in 2024.
He allegedly failed to remit money recovered from debtors on behalf of creditors and allegedly transferred part of the money to his mother, who was unaware of the alleged fraud.
That matter is pending before Harare provincial magistrate Ms Ruth Moyo and is set to continue on October 10.
