Businessman Patterson Timba has been acquitted of rape charges by the Kadoma Magistrates’ Court, bringing a dramatic turn to a case that documents and sources claim was part of a broader campaign linked to a long-standing dispute over Tolrose Mine.

The ruling, delivered on 30 March 2026, clears Timba of the allegations. However, material reviewed suggests the case may have been orchestrated to tarnish his reputation amid a 15-year battle over control of Tolrose Investments, the company associated with GlenCairn Mine, commonly known as Tolrose Mine.

According to the documents, the complainant described as an unemployed woman was allegedly sponsored to pursue the case. Sources claim businessman Jameson Rushwaya facilitated payments for legal representation through a “watching brief” lawyer. It is further alleged that the complainant received financial incentives as part of efforts tied to an attempted hostile takeover of the mine.

Additional claims suggest that after her dismissal from Tolrose, the woman survived through informal trading, selling second-hand shoes in Rio. Sources also allege that disputes over outstanding payments between the complainant and individuals linked to Rushwaya were witnessed during the proceedings.

The acquittal forms part of what documents describe as a recurring pattern in which criminal complaints against Timba emerged shortly after key civil rulings on the mine’s ownership. The material alleges that Rushwaya leveraged influence from close associates, including his brother Martin Rushwaya and Henrietta Rushwaya, during various stages of the dispute.

Court records cited in the documents indicate that a High Court consent order granted Timba a 67 percent controlling stake in Tolrose Investments, while Rushwaya held 23 percent. That stake was later reportedly extinguished through judicial execution proceedings involving Tetrad Investment Bank.

Further determinations by the Ministry of Mines in 2016, 2018, and 2025 are said to have reaffirmed Tolrose Investments as the legitimate holder of mining rights, with no legal entitlement attributed to Rushwaya or his company. Authorities reportedly invoked Section 348 of the Mines and Minerals Act to seek police assistance in removing illegal miners from the site.

Despite these rulings, the dispute allegedly escalated into repeated criminal proceedings. On 8 July 2010, Timba was arrested by Detective Assistant Inspector Chikupo on fraud-related allegations just days after an urgent High Court application filed by the Rushwayas had been dismissed on 29 June 2010 by Justice Bharat Patel. The material claims the arrest proceeded despite the Attorney-General declining to prosecute.

Violence has also marked the conflict. On 4 August 2012, a fatal shooting occurred during an attempted takeover of Tolrose Mine, resulting in the death of Shepherd Mpofu. Sixty security personnel were initially charged with murder, with six later indicted. All were acquitted in October 2015. A ballistics report from 2012 reportedly found that firearms belonging to the security company engaged by Timba were not responsible for the fatal shot, while weapons linked to opposing security personnel were allegedly not subjected to similar examination.

Tensions remained high in subsequent years. A complaint filed on 9 January 2018 alleged that Rushwaya and a group forcibly entered the mine on 7 January 2018 at around 21:00 hours, displacing management and taking control of key operational areas.

Crucially, the alleged invasion occurred after Timba had already been arrested and remanded in custody, a detail that sources say raises further questions about the sequence of events and control of the mine at the time.

The complaint further claims police response was delayed by several hours and that some individuals involved had prior records of violence, including assault and armed robbery at the mine.

Investigative material also points to irregularities in police handling of related cases, alleging that complaints initially recorded by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) were duplicated at Kadoma Central Police Station, resulting in parallel dockets based on the same facts. Arrests were reportedly carried out across different provinces, raising further questions about procedure.

Sources claim that following the dismissal of a High Court application by Timba in late 2025 seeking to regain access to the mine, arrests targeting him intensified.

Overall, the documents characterise the prolonged conflict as a coordinated effort to shift a civil commercial dispute into the criminal justice arena what they describe as a “prosecutorial architecture” designed to exert pressure despite court and regulatory determinations on ownership.

Efforts to obtain comment from Jameson Rushwaya, Martin Rushwaya, Henrietta Rushwaya, the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), and Patterson Timba were unsuccessful at the time of publication.

By Kelvin Matore, Hurumende Correspondent

KuGompo City, South Africa – The political landscape of South Africa was irrevocably altered today as opposition firebrand Julius Malema received a five-year prison sentence for discharging a firearm in the air at a 2018 rally. The magistrate’s court in KuGompo City, formerly East London, delivered the verdict, a decision that could effectively sideline one of the nation’s most dynamic and polarizing political figures.

Malema, 45, the charismatic leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), was convicted last year on multiple charges, including unlawful possession of a firearm and discharging a weapon in a public place. The incident, which occurred at a stadium in the Eastern Cape province, saw Malema firing what he controversially claimed was a ‘toy gun’ during a party celebration. This assertion was, however, decisively refuted by the court, which found overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

Immediately following the sentencing, Malema’s legal team initiated an appeal, a move that underscores the high stakes involved. Should this sentence be upheld through all avenues of appeal, it would carry profound consequences, notably barring Malema from holding public office. For a politician of his stature, this would be nothing short of a political death knell.

This development is a significant blow to the EFF, a party that has skillfully tapped into the frustrations of young South Africans grappling with persistent racial inequality decades after the end of apartheid in 1994. As the fourth-largest party in parliament, the EFF has been a vocal critic of the ruling African National Congress (ANC), advocating for radical economic transformation. Malema’s absence from the political arena could create a leadership vacuum and potentially diminish the party’s momentum and influence.

Throughout the protracted legal battle, Malema maintained his innocence, portraying the charges as politically motivated. However, the prosecution, led by Cesar, was unsparing in its assessment, arguing for a maximum 15-year sentence. Cesar’s remarks, “The accused has treated these proceedings with contempt… He blamed VIP protectors, the Holy Spirit, and everyone except himself. The show is over,” highlight the contentious nature of the trial and the perceived defiance of the accused.

The EFF has consistently framed this prosecution as a “witch hunt,” strategically timed ahead of the crucial 2026 municipal elections
. Indeed, the timing of this verdict, coupled with its severe implications, will undoubtedly reverberate across South Africa’s political landscape. The coming months will reveal whether Malema’s legal challenges can overturn this conviction or if this marks a definitive turning point in his controversial, yet impactful, political career.

The Bindura Magistrates’ Court has sentenced a 25-year-old man to an effective seven years in prison following a violent robbery at a local bus stop.

According to a statement issued yesterday by the National Prosecuting Authority, Nation Siyatukwe was convicted after he and an accomplice attacked two women during the early hours of last month.

“The incident occurred around 0400 hours on March 3, 2026, at the Chiwaridzo Clinic bus stop in Bindura. A 32-year-old woman was waiting for transport to work with her mother when Siyatukwe and his accomplice approached them. The two men initially demanded US$20 from the victims,” the NPA statement said.

The court heard that when the complainant told them she had no money, the situation turned violent. The offenders forced both women to sit on the ground before launching an assault.

Siyatukwe repeatedly struck the complainant in the face and restrained her while his accomplice took her Itel A70 mobile phone, valued at US$70.

“The victim managed to raise the alarm, prompting the two assailants to flee the scene. Police responded swiftly to the distress call and successfully tracked down and arrested Siyatukwe. His accomplice escaped and remains at large, with authorities continuing their search,” the statement added.

During the trial, the court noted that although the victim did not sustain visible permanent injuries, the use of force was evident. The magistrate found that violence was clearly used to facilitate the theft, meeting the legal requirements for a robbery conviction.