MARTIN MAWAYA
Gweru-A Chinese national charged with attempted murder was acquitted by a regional magistrate on Wednesday, but will remain jailed on separate immigration violation charges.
Gweru Regional Magistrate Christopher Maturure ruled that the evidence presented by the state failed to prove that Liu Haifeng, the farm manager at Ming Chang Sino-Mining Investment, fired three shots at Kholwani Dube.
Magistrate Maturure ruled that Kholwani was the aggressor and “created the scene at the workplace” on January 21 when he clashed with his bosses.
He said Dube “wanted to portray himself as a victim in court but the evidence presented before this court shows that he was hostile to the extent that he stabbed his boss.”
The magistrate added that the state’s second witness also failed to corroborate Kholwani’s testimony.
He ruled that the evidence revealed that the complainant was blocked by Chang as he “threatened and violently tried to take the excavator from the company premise to the police station.”
While Liu Haifeng was acquitted of the attempted murder charge, he will remain locked and stand trial from remand prison on March 20 for allegedly violating Zimbabwe’s immigration laws.
He was represented by his attorney Brian Dube.
