The ManicaPost
Weekender Correspondent —
A ZIMUNYA man has been hauled before the courts on allegations of threatening to stab his mother with a knife as well as burning down her hut. Brighton Munapeyi (27) of Dzingirayi Village pleaded guilty to contempt of court charges but denied negligently causing serious damage to property.
He appeared before Mutare senior magistrate, Mr Langton Mukwengi. He is facing contempt of court charges as defined in Section 182 of the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act Chapter 9:23 and negligently causing serious damage to property as defined in Section 141 of the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act Chapter 9:23.
Mr Fletcher Karombe prosecuted. Allegations are that Munapeyi insulted and threatened to assault his mother Margret Chaambwa (50). He pointed a knife at her after a misunderstanding broke out between the two in connection with a goat Munapeyi had slaughtered without his mother’s consent.
The suspect was only barred from assaulting his mother by his sister Lizzy Munapeyi who intervened. By attacking his mother the suspect was in breach of a protection order which barred him from doing so.
The order prohibits Munapeyi from insulting, threatening to assault Chaambwa or commit any other act that violates the provision of the Domestic Violence Act. It was further alleged that on the same day at around midnight, Munapeyi set on fire his mother’s one-roomed thatched bedroom.
“When Chaambwa returned home, Munapeyi said it was a stub of his cigarette that he was smoking that had ignited the house.
“Items that included building materials, kitchen utensils, a wardrobe, blankets and clothes were burnt and nothing was recovered,” said Mr Karombe.
Asked why he acted in such an abusive way towards his mother, Munapeyi said he had no intention to do so. Mr Mukwengi remanded him to October 19 for sentencing on the contempt of court charge and to October 26 for trial.
