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Heather Charema in Kadoma
The 14-year-old boy implicated in the hacking to death of a police officer by a machete gang at Good Hope Mine in Battlefields recently was denied bail on Monday after failing to produce a birth certificate.

The minor, through his lawyer, Mr Emmanuel Sanundombe of Sanundombe and Partners, pleaded with the court to be released into the custody of his parents due to his age.

His birth certificate could not be produced when he appeared before Kadoma magistrate Mr Shayne Kubonera, who remanded him at Kadoma Training Institute to January 17.

Eight others who have been implicated in the murder case were remanded in prison by the same magistrate.

Speaking to The Herald after the court hearing, Mr Sanundombe said the minor’s birth certificate could not be produced before the court, but he was a juvenile offender.

“He is a juvenile offender and if one is a juvenile, he or she is supposed to appear before the court in the company of a parent or a guardian,” he said.

“The parent then becomes the one responsible for making sure that he comes to court at the appropriate time.”

The eight are Leighton Panashe Tahoma, Obvious Mawire, Tonderai Musasa, Richwell Tshuma, Boylight Mukute, Munashe Mukute, Taurai Munetsi, Tinashe Paul Demo.

Munetsi and Demo who were on the police wanted list are admitted at Kadoma General Hospital after being shot by police in Gweru.

Mr Herbert Ngeziman represented the State.