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Fungai Lupande Court Reporter
Fugitive Johanne Masowe eChishanu apostolic sect leader Madzibaba Ishmael Chokurongerwa yesterday appeared in court facing public violence charges.Chokurongerwa (44) appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Milton Serima.
The prosecutor, Mr Sebastian Mutizirwa, urged the court to deny Chokurongerwa bail citing that he was a flight risk.
Mr Serima will make a ruling today. Mr Mutizirwa told the court that Chokurongerwa is not a proper candidate for bail.
“When Apostolic Christian Council of Zimbabwe president Reverend Ndanga arrived at the shrine on the day in question Chokurongerwa was there and he is the one who told him to speak in Shona instead of English. He is the one who started the song ‘Humambo hwepfumo neropa’, and when the police attempted to arrest him that is when the violence started.
“To say that he was not present is misleading. His 11 accomplices have been jailed and that can motivate him to abscond,” he said. Mr Mutizirwa called the investigating officer, detective Paul Kuratidza, who also corroborated the fear of Chokurongerwa absconding.
“He is likely to interfere with witnesses who are two members of his sect since he is highly regarded as a special prophet with special power,” he said.
In response, Chokurongerwa’s lawyer Mr Shepherd Mushonga told the court that his client has an alibi and is a proper candidate for bail.
“He was not present when the offence was committed. If he were there, surely he would have stopped the violence. Because of his sect, he doesn’t use cellphones, television, radio or read newspapers, thereby he was not aware that the police were looking for him and no one told him.
“The police never advertised him in the newspaper that he is on the police wanted list. Despite sensationalisation of this case stringent bail conditions will meet justice of this matter,” he said.
Chokurongerwa was arrested at his rural home in Chigogodza Village, Musami, in Murehwa.
Eleven of the 37 sect members who assaulted the police, journalists and other people at their shrine in Budiriro in May last year were sentenced to an effective four years in prison each.
The other 26 were acquitted after the State failed to prove a case against them.
Mr Mutizirwa alleged that on May 30 last year around 11am Bishop Ndanga, his delegation and the police went to the shrine at Budiriro 2 Park in Harare to address the issue of denying children formal education, among other issues.
Bishop Ndanga ordered the arrest of Chokurongerwa after he ordered him to speak in Shona but Chokurongerwa started singing, resulting in his congregants attacking the police, ZBC cameraman Relax Mafurutu and others.
A ZBC BAW pick-up truck and a tripod camera stand valued at US$1 350 were damaged.
Online Reporter