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Dudu Manhenga

Fungai Lupande Court Reporter
AFRO-JAZZ musician Dudu Manhenga was yesterday slapped with an effective 18-month jail term after she was convicted on her own guilty plea over a March 15, 2010, road traffic accident in which a motorcyclist was killed.
The singer pleaded guilty to culpable homicide and driving with a learner driver’s licence without supervision.
Harare magistrate Ms Blessing Murwisi sentenced Manhenga to a 24-month jail term and suspended six months for five years on condition that she does not commit a similar offence.

The Color Blu songstress was also fined US$300 (or three months in prison) for driving without supervision.
An additional six-month jail term was wholly suspended on condition that she does not drive without supervision for the next five years.
In passing sentence, Ms Murwisi considered that Manhenga was a female offender with four children.

“Her moral blameworthiness was high, although she is a first offender. The crime was aggravated by the fact that she turned right, knocking down a motorcyclist. She failed to keep a proper look out of the road ahead and also failed to stop or act reasonably in the event of the accident, this is clear gross negligence,” she said.

Some of Manhenga’s relatives, including Tinopona Katsande, gathered outside court crying.
Manhenga on Thursday applied for an amendment of the charges before tendering her plea.

She indicated that at the time of the accident, she was a holder of a learner driver’s licence.
She pleaded guilty to both counts of culpable homicide and driving with a learner driver’s licence without supervision.

Manhenga, who was legally represented, pleaded for the court’s lenience stating that she is an artiste and mother of four realising about US$500 per month.

In considering the appropriate sentence, Manhenga urged the court to take into account the fact that she has no previous convictions.
She said she did not see the now deceased until he was too close for her to act.

“The deceased was also not wearing a head gear as required by the law, as a result he suffered head injuries which could have been avoided,” she said.

She added that she drove without supervision on the fateful day after she got confused with news she had received that a close associate had died and had to visit the family to pay her condolences.

Manhenga told the court that, for the past three years, she has gone through rehabilitation to make herself a better and useful citizen.
“When the accident happened, I made arrangements to take him to the hospital. I also rendered significant assistance in funeral arrangements,” she said.

Proven facts are that on March 15, 2010 at around 2:15pm Manhenga was driving a Toyota Spacio, registration number ABF5454 along Sherwood Drive in Mabelreign, Harare.

Manhenga was driving along the northern direction of the road while the now deceased Graham Martin Millward was on his motorcycle heading south.

Manhenga turned right into number 14, knocking down the now deceased.