Bullets on Mutare streets

A Mutare man has been convicted after he was caught selling eleven live bullets on the streets of the Eastern border city.

Kudzai Samson Zvinoera (31) was recently arrested after he was found in possession of 11 rounds of live ammunition which he was selling at Mhaka Shopping Centre in Yeovil suburb of Mutare.

Zvinoera said the bullets were left behind by his father when he surrendered his gun to law enforcement agents some years back.

He added that as an unemployed person, he was trying to raise money for his own upkeep by selling the ammunition.

Zvinoera appeared before Mutare magistrate, Mr Langton Carter.

He was charged with contravening Section 4 (1)(2) of the Firearms Act, Chapter 10:09 (Possession or acquisition of ammunition without a certificate).

He pleaded guilty to the offence and was fined $30 000. In the event that Zvinoera fails to pay that money by December 5, he will spend 30 days in jail. Mr Thurstone Mubvumbi prosecuted. Said Mr Mubvumbi: “On November 14, at Mhaka Shops in Yeovil, Zvinoera was found in unlawful possession of 11 live ammunition without a certificate or licence.

“On that day, police received information that Zvinoera was selling live ammunition. Police reacted to the information and found Zvinoera in possession of 10 live ammunition. He was arrested and was taken to his place of residence where another bullet was found in his room.”

Zvinoera was asked to produce a certificate or licence authorising him to possess or acquire the ammunition but he failed to do so. Upon cross examination, Zvinoera said the bullets belonged to his late father who was a war veteran.

“I am unemployed and was looking for money for my upkeep. My late father owned the bullets. He was a war veteran. When he was asked to surrender his firearm some years back, he complied but left the bullets at our house.

“The bullets have been in our house for decades. I thought I could sell them to raise money for my upkeep,”said Zvinoera. The 11 bullets were forfeited to the State. Meanwhile, a Honde Valley man who broke into a lodge and stole a gun will spend the next one year behind bars after he was arrested and jailed for the offence.

Tinashe Kavhenga (51) of Dazi Village in Honde Valley was not represented when he appeared before Nyanga magistrate, Ms Notebulguar Muchineripi.