The Sunday News
Michael Magoronga, Midlands Correspondent
A MAN from Gokwe who was part of a gang that looted shops, barricaded roads and vandalised properties during last month’s violent protests, was on Thursday sentenced to seven years in jail.
Farai Chidziva (38) appeared before Gokwe regional magistrate Mr Musaiona Shortgame facing public violence and theft charges. Chidziva, who was arrested together with 18 others who have since been acquitted due to lack of evidence, was convicted after a full trial that saw more than 10 witnesses testifying.
He will, however, serve an effective six years after one year was suspended for five years on condition he does not commit a similar offence. Another year was suspended on condition he restitutes a total of $3 362 to four complainants whose properties were damaged in the protests. In passing sentence, Mr Shortgame said a custodial sentence for Chidziva was deterrent and would send a message to would-be offenders.
“This is a rarity and by giving you a custodial sentence, we are sending a message to would-be offenders.
We are also protecting the public from characters like you who are a threat to people’s peace and security,” said Mr Shortgame.
The State has it that on 15 January about 3pm, Chidziva together with two other accused persons who are yet to appear in court, and their accomplices who are still at large, barricaded the Gokwe-Kwekwe highway and other roads using rocks and burning tyres.
They ordered shops and tuck-shops to close and went on to forcibly grab groceries from tuck-shops and shops that remained open. The gang then proceeded to Choppies where they vandalised the supermarket after failing to gain entry to loot.
They then proceeded to the Gokwe New Long Distance Bus terminus where they vandalised property and chased away council police. The gang proceeded to a Zupco depot where they again vandalised the precast wall to gain entry before stoning buses they found there. They proceeded to GMB Gokwe Depot where they looted 154 bags of 50 kilogramme maize meal and took them home. A total of 28 bags were recovered. Mr Tinashe Wazvaremhaka prosecuted.
