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instead of prosecuting his clients, the Chipinge farmer, John Chirimambowa, who was paid $5 000 for the 10 cattle but is still holding on to the livestock, should be the one in the dock.
The trial, which began on Monday at the Mutare Magistrates’ Courts, entered its second day yesterday.
It continues today with more State witnesses expected to testify. During cross-examination yesterday, Mr Hove asked the fourth State witness, Chirimambowa, why he was still in possession of the cattle yet he was paid in cash.
He labelled him a thief, saying he was holding on to the livestock because he wanted to steal them.
“You are the thief, you kept the cattle for Zanu-PF, yet you were given the money. You wanted to steal them . . . You also stole 75 litres of diesel which you were given to transport the cattle to Mutare, but you did not do so,” he said.
Chirimambowa told the court that he was following instructions from Madiro which were conveyed to him through the party’s provincial administrator to “stay put with the cattle in Chipinge until further notice”.
“I could not defy orders,” he said.
Chirimambowa confirmed that Supa Mandiwanzira, who was the party’s deputy secretary for finance then, paid him $5 000 for the 10 beasts and was given 75 litres of fuel to ferry the cattle from Chipinge to Mutare.
He said all was going smoothly, but problems arose in Chipinge at the veterinary offices after he was told that it was not possible to transport the 10 cattle from a red zone area, infested with livestock diseases, to a green zone area in Odzi.
“Those at the veterinary office said the cattle are in a red zone and they cannot be taken to Odzi, which is a green zone.
“They said the cattle had to be slaughtered first and transported as carcasses.
“They also told me that if I wanted to ferry them to Odzi alive they would brand them with a ‘S’ mark which entailed that the cattle had to be slaughtered as soon as I got to Odzi.
“I told Madiro of the development and he told me to wait,” he said.
Up to now he is still in possession of the cattle save for three of the beasts which he said he was ordered to slaughter by Mabika for use at an inter-district meeting held in Mutare well after the holding of the 21st February Movement celebrations.
Chirimambowa also said he was shocked when the police telephoned him about the stock theft.
He said he did not want to benefit anything from the cattle but kept them safe until the owner, Zanu-PF, collects them.
Instead of accusing him as a thief, he said the provincial leadership, specifically Madiro, was at fault because he gave him orders to keep the cattle, yet he knew the livestock belonged to the party.
Mr Hove said Chirimambowa was part of the team that was persecuting his clients on political grounds and thus he was lying to fix them.
However, Chirimambowa said he had no axe to grind with Madiro and replied: “It’s your personal opinion, because if you knew how Madiro rose to power, it’s because of me.”
The State called on the party’s provincial administrator, Mrs Angawacha Nelia Maenda, who said the cattle in dispute were meant for President Mugabe’s birthday.
She told the court that she does not know why the cattle are still at Chirimambowa’s farm when they were paid for long ago.
Maenda corroborated Chirimambowa’s statements that the 10 cattle were supposed to have been slaughtered and used during the 21st February Movement celebrations like what happened to other donated livestock.
She also told the court that Mabika, who is the acting chairperson following Madiro’s suspension, instructed her to amend minutes of a provincial meeting held in December last year to the effect that the issue of the cattle had been discussed in the meeting yet it was not deliberated on.
Area public prosecutor Ms Jane-Rose Matsikidze is appearing for the State.
Online Reporter