Crime and Courts
Court Awards Nearly US$49K to Farmer Shot During Patrol
The High Court has ordered a security guard and his employer, Javelin Trading (Pvt) Ltd, to jointly pay nearly US$49,000 in damages to a Nyabira-based police officer and farmer who was left disabled after being shot during a farm patrol.
Justice Gladys Mhuri found guard Casten Suwedi negligent when he shot Calisto Mujera in the back at Gwebi South Farm on April 26, 2020, leaving him partially paralysed. The court also held Javelin Trading vicariously liable, having armed Suwedi despite his lack of proper firearms training.
“The second defendant did not issue any warning to stop. He fired directly at the vehicle without confirming whether anyone was inside. A reasonable person would have foreseen the risk of injuring someone,” Justice Mhuri ruled.
Mujera had initially demanded US$331,590 in compensation for medical bills, lost income, destroyed farming operations, and future care costs. However, the court reduced the award to US$48,920.66, covering verified medical and transport expenses, lost farm income, as well as damages for pain, suffering, and loss of life’s amenities.
According to evidence presented, Mujera had been driving with his son when his car overheated near Javelin Farm. As he stepped out to check the engine, Suwedi—on patrol—shone a torchlight from the maize field and fired a shot, striking him in the back.
“I shouted that I was a police officer. No warning was given. I only saw a light, then heard a bang,” Mujera testified.
The bullet left shrapnel embedded in his spine, resulting in permanent lower-body damage. He spent weeks at Parirenyatwa Hospital and months at Chikurubi Police Hospital undergoing treatment and physiotherapy. Medical reports confirmed he will suffer chronic pain and permanent disability.
Mujera told the court the injuries ruined his farming business, cost him his formal employment, and left him socially humiliated after media reports falsely suggested he had been caught stealing maize. He and his son were later acquitted of theft charges at the Norton Magistrates’ Court.
Suwedi, however, insisted he had found Mujera stealing maize and fired only after giving a warning. Justice Mhuri rejected his testimony, describing him as “not a truthful witness” who gave conflicting accounts. Javelin Trading, for its part, did not present any defence.
In her ruling, Justice Mhuri stressed that damages were meant to compensate the victim, not punish the wrongdoer. She awarded Mujera US$33,920.66 in special damages (medical bills, transport, and lost farm income), US$10,000 for pain and permanent disability, and US$5,000 for loss of amenities.
The final award of US$48,920.66 is to be paid jointly by Javelin Trading and Suwedi, with payment by one absolving the other.
Crime and Courts
23-Year-Old Jailed for Stealing Police Vehicle
Itai Mazire
A 23-year-old man from Chinhoyi has been sentenced to 12 months in prison after stealing a Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) vehicle from Chemagamba Police Camp.
According to court papers, the Chinhoyi Magistrates’ Court convicted Godfrey Musa Ndlovu (23) of stealing a ZRP vehicle from Chemagamba Police Camp in Chinhoyi.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said that on 7 December 2025, at around 0500 hours, a ZRP officer was preparing to travel to Mutoko in a silver Kia Rio police vehicle when the offender, who was a relative of the officer’s neighbour, requested a lift into Chinhoyi town.
“The officer allowed him to load his goods into the vehicle. Before departure, the officer briefly returned to his residence to collect a cellphone, leaving the vehicle keys inside his jacket on the seat. The offender then took the keys and drove off at high speed,” the NPA said.
Acting on a tip-off, police later apprehended Ndlovu near Thrills Service Station while he was travelling in an unregistered taxi, commonly known as a mushikashika. He subsequently led officers to the recovery of the stolen vehicle in Ruvimbo Phase 2, Chinhoyi.
The vehicle, valued at US$6 000, was recovered with its registration plates removed, the third plate altered, the police radio disconnected, and the communication aerial damaged. The missing registration plates, valued at US$650, were not recovered.
Ndlovu was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment, of which 18 months were suspended on condition of good behaviour, leaving him to serve an effective 12-month jail term.
Crime and Courts
Shinsoman Pays US$200 Fine Over Cannabis Offence
Zimdancehall musician Romeo Anthony, better known as Shinsoman, has been fined US$200 after admitting to smoking cannabis.
The 37-year-old artist appeared before the Mbare Magistrates’ Court together with four other accused persons Themba Sibanda (26), Tendai Shumba (43), Kennedy Simbanegavi (37) and Cosmas Muzanzi (41). All pleaded guilty to violating Section 157(1)(b) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, which prohibits possession of dangerous drugs.
Magistrate Ranga Jere ordered each of the five to pay a US$200 fine. The court ruled that failure to settle the fine would result in a four-month prison sentence, with three months suspended for five years on condition that they do not commit a similar offence.
According to the State, the incident occurred on January 5, 2026, at a residence in Highfields. CID Drugs and Narcotics officers allegedly discovered the men smoking cannabis near a parked Mercedes-Benz while carrying out follow-up investigations.
Crime and Courts
Garwe Urges National Unity, Says Focus Must Shift to Development
Itai Mazire
ZANU PF Mashonaland East Provincial Chairperson, Cde Daniel Garwe, has implored Zimbabweans to set aside political differences and unite under a shared vision of national development.
Speaking during a recent tour of Mrewa North Constituency, Honorable Garwe who also serves as the Minister of Local Government and Public Works said that the country’s primary focus should remain on infrastructure and economic growth rather than perpetual political contestation.

Cde Daniel Garwe
The tour was aimed at assessing ongoing projects in the district and engaging with local communities on their developmental needs. Hon. Garwe’s message was clear, the time for campaigning has passed and the time for labor has arrived.
“We must be a nation that is united for development.
“Let us focus on building our country because we are not in an election season,” he said.
Addressing various stakeholders and community members, Hon.Garwe said that the Second Republic’s “Vision 2030” can only be achieved if the citizenry works in harmony.
He added that the government is currently preoccupied with closing the infrastructure gap through projects such as dam construction, road rehabilitation and the development of smart cities.
Hon Garwe dismissed any rhetoric focused on early electioneering, reminding the public that the mandate for the current administration was established in the previous general elections.
“There is a time for politics and a time for work. Right now, our hands should be on the tools. We are not in an election season, so let us focus on the development that improves the lives of our people,” he added.
Provincial Progress
During his visit to Mrewa North, the Chairman praised the local leadership for their commitment to government-led programs.
He urged the province to lead by example in maintaining peace and stability, which he described as the “bedrock of progress.”
The visit is part of a broader provincial outreach program by the ZANU PF Mashonaland East leadership to ensure that developmental targets are met at the grassroots level. Garwe concluded by reiterating that the door is open for all Zimbabweans to contribute to the nation’s growth, regardless of their background.
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