Mpofu to appear before Byo court

By Tendai Madhomu

Zanu PF secretary for administration Obert Mpofu, is set to testify before a Bulawayo magistrate in a case in which he stands accused of inciting a Ntabazinduna villager to defy directives from Chief Felix Nhlanhlayemangwe Ndiweni.

Ndiweni and his 22 subjects appeared before magistrate Gladmore Mushove for allegedly vandalising Fatti Mbele’s homestead, accusing him of defying the chief’s directive to divorce his alleged adulterous wife.

Chief Ndiweni told the court through his lawyer, Dumisani Dube, that Mpofu waded into the matter to “fix” him after he filed stock theft charges against the minister. Dube told the Daily News yesterday that the matter had been postponed to April 3, after a warrant of arrest was issued for one of the accused persons who failed to turn up.

He said Mpofu is expected to be in attendance to testify on the next remand date. The State accuses Chief Ndiweni and 22 other villagers of malicious damage to property belonging to his subject, Mbele.

The traditional leader and his subjects are alleged to have destroyed Mbele’s property after he defied the chief’s 2017 ruling to divorce his wife over adultery.

Ndiweni also faces extortion charges for allegedly collecting a cow and its calf from Mbele as fine. Mpofu was summoned to court after Ndiweni testified that Mbele framed him and his subjects as he had been influenced by the top Zanu PF official to cause their arrest.

Ndiweni alleged Mpofu wanted to fix him after he reported the former minister at Mbembesi Police Station for stealing his late father’s 200 head of cattle. The chief also alleged Mpofu, using his influence as minister, had caused the docket to disappear.

Mpofu initially refused to attend court through an affidavit submitted by his lawyer, Byron Sengweni, saying he knew nothing about the case. DailyNews