Army officer ‘points gun’ at MP’s wife

By George Maponga

MASVINGO – Chiredzi West Zanu-PF Member of Parliament Darlington Chiwa has taken to court a senior army officer in the sugar growing town for allegedly threatening to shoot him and his wife with a pistol.

Chiwa and his wife Miriam accuse Chiredzi-based Operation Maguta head Major Faster Gono of pointing a pistol at them during Zanu-PF ward restructuring elections held at Kamba Primary School in Triangle last November.

The matter was transferred to the Masvingo magistrates’ court from Chiredzi Civil Court after Gono successfully applied to the Constitutional Court for the matter to be moved to another court arguing that he was unlikely to get a fair trial as Chiwa was influential in Chiredzi by virtue of his position as Member of Parliament.

Gono last Thursday appeared before Masvingo magistrate Sibonginkosi Mkandla facing charges of contravening the Firearms Act.

He denied the charges arguing that he never pointed a gun at Chiwa and his wife but only exchanged harsh words with the latter during the Zanu-PF meeting in question.

Mkandla remanded Gono out of custody to February 26 for trial.

Prosecutor Tavonga Musina told the court that sometime in November last year, Gono and Miriam were part of the people who were taking part in elections during a Zanu-PF ward restructuring meeting in Chiredzi West.

A dispute allegedly erupted between Gono and Chiwa’s wife after the former complained bitterly that the elections were not being conducted fairly.

Gono allegedly pulled out a pistol and pointed it at Miriam, threatening to shoot her.

Miriam allegedly went home and informed her husband who then reported the matter at Triangle police station.

Prior to this, Chiwa had applied for a protection order against Gono at the Chiredzi Civil Court after the latter had threatened to kill the parliamentarian together with his wife. The protection order was granted. Tavonga Musina appeared for the state. The Chronicle