The Herald (Zimbabwe)

Mteki receives death threats

- Nyore Madzianike Senior Court Reporter

PRESIDENTI­AL aspirant in the 2018 harmonised elections, Bryn Mteki, has claimed that he received death threats from one of his employees after he lodged a police complaint over the way they were mishandlin­g his business affairs.

Mteki, who recently rejoined the ruling Zanu PF party, took Kelvin Tapera, Belinda Toro, Charles Mutusva, Oline Musuwo and Cleopas Madzemwa (who is Toro’s husband) to the Harare provincial magistrate­s’ court where the employees denied ever threatenin­g Mteki and another complainan­t, Tonderai Nyagunzu.

Prosecutor Ms Linda Gadzikwa said on January 24 at around 3:30pm, the five went to Mteki’s BrynBands offices in Harare, intending to serve him with papers prepared by their lawyer detailing their grievances against him.

Mteki is said to have refused to entertain them. Allegation­s are that Tapera then started shouting at Nyagunzu before Toro allegedly threatened him by saying “unofira mahara. Ndiwe wakatisung­isa uye tichapedze­rana (You are going to die. You caused our arrest and we will deal with you).”

The court heard all the five charged towards Nyagunzu, forcing him to close his screen door. It is said after hearing the noise, Mteki came out of his shop to see what was taking place.

One of the five is alleged to have poured beer on Mteki in a fit of anger.

Madzemwa is said to have shouted at Mteki saying: “Ndiwe munhu watiri kuda, wakacreato­r macharges kuti vanhu vasungwe and uri kuseenzesa Tonderai mahara, mese muchafira mahara (You are the person we want to deal with. You caused our arrest on false charges).”

Through their actions, the five were said to be in violation of their bail conditions as they had other pending cases against Mteki before the same court.

They are expected to be back in court on February 18 for trial.

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