Martin Muleya
Two men are expected to appear for trial on Friday before Mutare magistrate Poterai Gwezhira facing charges of negligently causing serious damage to property as defined in Section 141 of the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act Chapter9:23.
It was the State’s case led by Sandra Mlambo that on 23rd of September 2023 at number 7174 area 15 Dangamvura Mutare, Solomon (21) and God’swill Tafara Takaendesa (23) unlawfully caused serious damage to a nine roomed house belonging to Amos Mutakura by their gross negligence in starting a fire by directly connecting a solar panel to a battery which was in the spare bedroom and caused serious damage to the house.
The two who reside in Fernvalley had visited their father who is a tenant to Mutakura.
“However on the day around 1800hrs the two men connected a solar panel directly to the battery without putting a regulator for charging then placed the battery in the spare bedroom. The fire ignited from the battery and spread from the spare bedroom burning the whole house. Forensic laboratory report REF 61/2023 refers,” said Mlambo.
Total value of the damaged property is US$85 000 and nothing was recovered.
Meanwhile, Charles Chamanga (41) of Odzi was arraigned to court after contravening Section 163 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act (Chapter 9:23) as read with Section 35 (2) of the Data Protection Act (Hacking).
Chamanga pleaded not guilty to the charge.
It was the State’s case that on 23rd February 2025 and at shop number 3198, Odzi location, Mutare Chamanga accessed his wife’s phone to see data which was stored in it without Elizabeth Limambo’s approval.
Circumstances were that “On 21st February 2025 at around 1800hrs Elizabeth Limambo was at shop number 3198 Odzi Location when she received a Whatsapp message from her friend who was asking her whereabouts. Before she could reply she saw a message which stated that she was at home. Limambo tried to find out who had replied the message but to no avail.
“During the evening Limambo enquired as to how it was possible that her Whatsapp messages were being replied by an unknown person. She checked her Whatsapp phone settings and discovered that there were some devices which were linked on her Whatsapp. She immediately deleted the devices,” Mlambo prosecuted.
It is alleged that the following morning Limambo went to her workplace and met her husband where upon she asked him if he had hacked her phone. Chamanga confirmed hacking his wife’s Whatsapp as he had some information he wanted to know as to who was assisting her divorce court cases.
Incensed with anger Limambo showed Chamanga messages in which Chamanga had been communicating with Maclean Murauro through the Whatsapp. She realized that it was her husband who had hacked her phone and made a police report.
Chamanga will be back in the dock for trial on 2 June 2025
