Motorcade extortionist in court

Nyore Madzianike

Senior Court Reporter

A man appeared in court on allegations of attempting to extort money from a motorist in Harare city centre after accusing him of blocking the President’s motorcade.

Simbarashe Manyara (30), of Chitungwiza, appeared before magistrate Mr Dennis Mangosi charged with extortion.

He was not asked to plead to the charges and was remanded out of custody to March 17 on $5 000 bail.

Prosecutor Mr Shepherd Makonde had it that on January 21 at around 9am, Manyara teamed up with his two accomplices, who are still at large, and approached Tonderai Marira, who was driving his car along George Silundika Avenue in Harare.

It is alleged that Manyara’s accomplices posed as police officers and started accusing Marira of interfering with the President’s motorcade.

The court heard that Manyara and his accomplices threatened to take Marira to Defence House to explain himself on his intentions to interfere with the motorcade.

Allegations are that Manyara and his accomplices demanded US$750 for him to buy his freedom.

Mr Makonde also alleged that one of Manyara’s accomplices drove Marira’s car and parked it near Parliament Building, claiming they wanted to impound it.

One of Manyara’s accomplices is said to have called one Mutasa who arrived driving a Honda Fit and asked him to accompany Marira to Mt Pleasant to collect the money.

It is said that Mutasa then drove to Mt Pleasant with Marira, where they were given US$300 by his workmate and returned to where his car was parked.

Irked by what had happened, Marira went to lodge a complaint with the police who launched an investigation.

Manyara was then arrested and found in possession of US$860 and $300.

He was subsequently taken to court charged with extortion.