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Fungai Lupande Court Reporter
President Mugabe’s 55-year-old neighbour appeared in court yesterday on allegations of setting his dogs to hunt buck at the President’s private residence in Borrowdale.
Michael Pazarangu appeared before Harare magistrate Ms Vongai Muchuchuti facing charges of letting his unmuzzled ferocious dogs roam freely as defined in Section 46 (2)(r) of the Third Schedule of the Criminal Law and Codification Act Chapter 9.23.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge and was remanded to June 24 on free bail for his trial.
The complainant in matter was the State represented by Sergeant Tarirai Mhere.

Prosecutor Mr Desire Chidanire alleged that during the night of May 22, Sergeant Mike Dheremete started his night guard duty around 7pm at the President’s private residence along Borrowdale Brooke Road in Borrowdale.

It is alleged that he carried out his routine perimeter checks and concluded that everything was well.
The following day at around 5am, Sgt Dheremete heard monkeys chattering and went to check on what was happening.

The court heard that he followed the monkeys up to a small gate and discovered a dead buck lying on the ground.
The buck, which was attacked, had wounds on its neck and its private parts had been bitten off.

Sgt Dheremete informed his superiors before handing over duty to Sgt Mhere.
It is alleged that on the same day, Sgt Mhere saw Pazarangu’s two dogs drooling, ready to feed on the carcass of the dead buck.

After being startled, the dogs ran away into Pazarangu’s yard through an opening in the fence separating the two properties. National Parks and Wildlife officials identified the two dogs as the the ones they had shot and wounded the previous year following a similar incident at the President’s residence.