By Petros Muleya.
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. (News Of The South) – -A controversial ZANU-PF farmer who last year donated game meat including two elephants and a lion trophy worth a combined $120,000 towards President Mugabe’s birthday celebrations has dragged the party’s councillor to court on allegations of assault.
The farmer Tendai Tidings Musasa accuses Matetsi Ward 1 councillor in Hwange District Elias Mzamba of disturbing a board meeting and manhandling him.
Musasa and Mzamba have been at loggerheads for some time over control of Woodlands Farm, on the outskirts of Victoria Falls which was allocated to about 120 people in 2000.
The farm is run by a company called Words of Advice which was established by the beneficiaries who elected a board and the two have been tussling to lead the board.
Mzamba, of Mkhosana suburb in Victoria Falls has pleaded not guilty to two counts of assault.
He is also charged with contempt of court for allegedly violating a High Court order barring him from interfering with activities of the board after Musasa approached the upper court.
Mzamba appeared before Victoria Falls magistrate Lindiwe Maphosa who deferred trial to the second week of April.
Particulars of the case are that sometime in November last year Mzamba assaulted Musasa and while at the same time making threats of violence as he allegedly disrupted a meeting.
Namibia based Musasa, 40, said he addressed a meeting for 30 minutes after which Mzamba allegedly stood and started shouting and banging tables.
“When Imagine Chikotsi the treasurer started presenting an audit report, Mzamba suddenly shouted that the board has put him in trouble with Zimra,” said Musasa.
It is alleged that Mzamba threatened to take over the operations of the board by virtue of being the councillor for the area.
Musasa and other board members escaped from the hall where the meeting was taking place.
Mzamba and some villagers accuse Musasa of imposing himself and clandestinely exploiting resources at their expense without remitting money to the community as expected.
On the other hand, Musasa accuses Mzamba of causing chaos at the farm. Musasa also has a pending case for theft of an elephant carcass which he donated to organisers of the 21st Movement bash.
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