Two-heads-of-sheep-for-insulting-village-head
Two heads of sheep for insulting village head
Chegutu Bureau Chief
A man from Mhondoro-Ngezi got himself into trouble by
insulting a village head and has to part with two heads of sheep, to pay for
his transgression.
Forward Manzunzu, who had been summoned to appear at Chief
Ngezi-Mupamombe`s court, received a default judgment.
Presiding officer George Murungweni found Forward guilty of
denigrating the person and office of a village head, which is protected under
the laws of the country.
It is the court`s case that sometime last year, the village
head, Emmanuel Ngureze went to Forward`s homestead to settle a dispute. It is
then that the offence was committed.
The culprit was ordered to appear before Chief
Ngezi-Mupamombe born, Peter Pasipamire.
The accused person is said to have insulted village head
Ngureze after the latter had gone to pacify in a case involving accused`s adult
younger brother (name withheld), who had offended his father-in-law.
Forward is said to have uttered unprintable words towards
the village head when the respectable man was on his way back, with Sebastien
Dhuve.
That did not go down well with Ngureze who went on to report
his matter at Paramount, Chief Ngezi-Mupamombe`s court.
"I had gone to pacify his younger brother at their
homestead. When we had finished the process, about a kilometre from the
residence, I heard a phone call from Forward Manzunzu. He started insulting me
from an environment that seemed like he was in a bar.
"He said, `I`m Forward Manzunzu. I stay at Dzingainhamo
co-operative. My younger brother will never pay for that offence. He doesn`t
pay for that s...t.`"
"I was so incensed that I wanted to reply to that
insult over the phone but, my colleague Dhuve, whom I was with refrained
me."
The head continued, "When we met with Forward he
admitted to the offence and offered to pay with a chicken. I told him to go and
inform all those who were present when he belittled me. I then advised him to
peruse the summon that I delivered on the matter to his homestead. That
subpoena was signed by his mother. From then on, he is nowhere near the
village," village head Ngureze told the court.
Murungweni advised Ngureze, "Bring to us your judgments
and write a reminder for him to pay the demands by a specified date. He can
never pay with a chicken for insulting you. He should bring two heads of sheep
to pay for that offence.
"You should have submitted today the sentence that you
handed down and we use that to come up with our judgment. We attach that
document to ours as the chief`s court."
The younger brother, who originally was the accused, is
complying while Forward is the one proving to be difficult.
"If he refuses, you can come again and we sign the LC
form," Murungweni ruled.