SW Radio Africa news - The Independent Voice of Zimbabwe
A Mwenezi District Administrator was last week convicted for assaulting a handicapped white commercial farmer, whom he later evicted from his farm, the Daily News reported Monday.
According to the report Masvingo magistrate Oliver Mudzongachiso, found Stanley Chamisa guilty of assaulting William Strander and fined him $80. Chamisa’s son, Watson, was acquitted for lack of evidence.
The report said the assault took place while Chamisa was evicting the farmer off his property under the so-called land reform programme.
The case against Chamisa was that on October 27th last year he and his son, accompanied by two police officers, drove to Strander’s homestead at Benjani Ranch Farm. They are said to have met Strander driving in the opposite direction and stopped him. When Strander refused to drive back to his homestead the DA then insulted his victim and punched him.
Chamisa was later restrained by police officers after he allegedly tried to pick up a boulder in an attempt to smash Strander’s car. The farmer sustained injuries on the neck and the arm and had to be treated at Masvingo General Hospital. He reported the matter to the police, leading to Chamisa’s arrest.
Strander has since approached the Constitutional Court over the seizure of his farm.