Mutare businessman Edward Muhamba (42) was yesterday denied bail by provincial magistrate Phatekile Msipa, on attempted murder and malicious damage to property charges.
Muhamba appeared in court after he was arrested by police details last Friday together with his accomplices Salmon Muzonzini and two others who are still at large.
It was the State’s case led by Perseverance Musukuto that sometime in December 2024, Doreen Muchena entered into a business partnership with Muhamba. She was given money by Muhamba for the business.
Musukuto told the court that during the course of their business venture, Muchena failed to account for the money prompting Muhamba to demand his money from Muchena. He threatened to kill her if she failed to pay back the money.
“On 20th of February 2025 at around 2030hrs, Muhamba connived with Salmon Muzonzini who has already been arraigned before the courts under CRB MUTR 40/25, two others who are still at large and proceeded to Doree Muchena’s house with an unregistered Scania truck model unknown, yellow in colour and a silver land-cruiser without registration numbers. They reversed the Scania truck into Muchena’s gate and pre-cast wall, of which the wall and gate fell down.
“The accused entered into the yard and broke the main bedroom window with an unknown object. They threw a petrol bomb inside the house, setting it ablaze while Sly Marangwanda (12), Tafadzwa Marangwanda (8) and Brenda Mutsonziwa (20) were inside. The two children and the maid were rescued by a neighbor who broke the burglar bars of the lounge window and pulled them out,” prosecuted Musukuto.
As Muhamba and his accomplices were leaving the crime scene, Sylvester Marangwanda who was coming from Marcs’ shopping centre managed to positively identify the accused persons in a silver land-cruiser.
The roof of Muchena’s house collapsed and all the property inside the house worth US$350 000.00 was burnt to ashes.
In denying Muhamba bail, magistrate Msipa highlighted that the police were yet to recover the two motor vehicles used by the accused persons to commit the offence, so if granted bail chances are high that they will interfere with investigations. She also noted that the two children and maid escaped death by a whisker and we’re left homeless, so it was the duty of the police and courts to protect the community by chucking off undesirable elements from the society.
Muhamba was represented by Chris Ndlovu of Ndlovu and Gonese Partners, will be back in the dock on 20th of March 2025.
