MP acquitted on mbanje charge

Khumalo was arrested early last year after being allegedly found in possession of 45 grammes of mbanje.
He had gone to Western Commonage Police Station to report a case of damage to his car after a brawl with a kombi crew in March last year when one of the accused indicated to the police that Khumalo had pointed a gun at  him.
This prompted the police to search the car and allegedly found 4,5 grammes of mbanje while 40,5 grammes were found at his House Number 61482 Pelandaba the following day.
Khumalo was facing two counts of possessing mbanje.
He pleaded not guilty to both counts and his lawyer, Mr Matshobana Ncube of Phulu and Partners, applied for discharge in December last year.
Bulawayo magistrate, Mrs Rosemary Dube, found Khumalo not guilty on both                counts.
Mrs Dube, in her ruling, said the state had failed to prove a prima facie case against Khumalo on both  counts.
She said state witnesses, all of them policemen based at Western Commonage Police Station, gave conflicting statements.
Mrs Dube said the court therefore found it difficult to believe any of the witnesses.
The State’s case was that on 4 March last year, Khumalo was involved in a fight with a kombi crew near Ikhwezi Tavern in Pelandaba suburb.
When the kombi crew and the MP were taken to the police station, one of the kombi crew members told the police that Khumalo had pointed a gun at him, prompting the police officers to search Khumalo’s car where they allegedly found mbanje.
Police went to search Khumalo’s house the following day and allegedly discovered more mbanje wrapped in a newspaper.
Mr Jeremiah Mutsindikwa prosecuted.