Woman cries out after hubby was remanded in custody 

Elvis Dumba

Banket- A woman in her forties brought court proceedings at Banket Magistrates Court to a standstill, after her husband was remanded in custody over contempt of court.

The woman had to be escorted outside the court premises as her deafening wailing drowned court proceedings making Magistrate Batanai Madzingira to jokingly ask the state counsel why forcing people into crying.

Magistrate Madzingira had remanded two accused males in custody in a matter where Seza Mutopa and Ray Phiri were being charged for contempt court.

The two were arraigned before the courts after they disregarded a high court order that prohibited them from using or visiting tobacco barns at Samos Farm in Zvimba.

The two who are tobacco farmers were barred from using the barns following a high court order application by one Mudzengere,on 22 January 2022.

The two disregarded the order and continued to visit and use the barns resulting in Mudzengerere reporting them to the police.

The two claimed that they were only told to remove the locks from the barns with Phiri claiming that he has been staying at the barns with his family since 2005 and claimed that the complainant had actually offered him a grace period so that he can be offered a piece of land by the local village head after the rainy season.

Magistrate Madzingira asked if the two would be able to observe rulings from lower courts, when they have the audacity to disregard a higher court.

The two were remanded in custody to 15 January 2023.

After the two where remanded in custody, Phiri`s wife broke down and started wailing and had to be escorted out of court.

She could be heard wailing about 300 meters outside the court premises.

Odrah Mutendebure appeared for the state