Student nurse appears in court

in court yesterday facing charges of assault and malicious damage to property respectively.
Ignatius Zuze (29) is being accused of assaulting Herald senior health reporter Paidamoyo Chipunza and photographer Innocent Makawa after accusing them of taking his photographs.
He is also accused of damaging a camera and the car the journalists were using.
In her evidence in chief, Chipunza, who is six months pregnant, told the court that Zuze elbowed her on the stomach before slapping her in the face.
Chipunza had gone to the hospital to interview authorities on health-related issues.
She said Zuze elbowed Chipunza while trying to grab a camera she was holding.
Chipunza told the court that she felt weak and gave up the bag.
She said Zuze was very violent and shouted threats boasting that his uncle was a member of the Central Intelligence Organisation.
The court heard that Makawa later took the bag and ran to the other end of the carpark where the company vehicle was parked.
Zuze allegedly punched Chipunza and slapped her while they were trying to settle the matter in one of the hospital offices.
Makawa told the court that Zuze grabbed him by the collar.
He said Zuze pushed and shoved him during the assault.
Zuze pleaded not guilty to two counts of assault and two counts of malicious damage of property.
He denied assaulting the two journalists as well as damaging their camera and car.
Zuze said he was protecting the hospital’s interests and wanted to get the camera to satisfy himself that no photographs were taken at the hospital. He said that he had been tipped that the camera was focused on him and his colleagues.
Prosecutor Ms Tungamirai Muganhiri alleged that last Tuesday, the journalists went to the hospital on business but were attacked by Zuze who accused them of taking his pictures.
Mbare resident magistrate Mr Brighton Pabwe deferred the trial to today when two more witnesses are expected to testify.