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Nyore Madzianike Senior Court Reporter

SUSPENDED Harare mayor Jacob Mafume plans to ask the courts to drop charges of attempting to defeat the course of justice, in which he is accused of attempting to interfere with a witness in the trial on the more serious charge of illegally parcelling out residential land.

Yesterday he told the court that he will be making an application for exception to charges of defeating the course of justice.

Through his lawyer Mr Tonderai Bhatasara, Mafume yesterday sought for postponement of the matter to allow him to prepare an application for exception to the charges.

In his application for postponement of the matter, Mr Bhatasara told the court that the State had not furnished them with additional documents that they had requested.

“We wrote a letter to the State requesting for further particulars, but the State had not fully given us what we requested. They gave us part of what we had requested,” he said.

The State led by Mrs Netsai Mushayabasa and Ms Sheilla Mupindu said they had given Mafume and his lawyers what they had requested and opposed his application for postponement saying he had ample time to prepare his application from his last remand date.

“We are opposed to the application. The defence had ample time from November 8 to today to make an application for stay of proceedings and they appeared in court saying they intended to make an application yet they had time. 

“This is a delay tactic. They requested call history, proof of ownership from Econet Zimbabwe of subscriber number, 0772616889, and Edgar Dzehonye’s statement. We gave these to them.

“What is only missing is an authority for the trap set up by the police. We did not give them because it is not there,” she said.

Mafume indicated that he will file the application for an exception on December 3 with the State expected to respond on December 7.  Harare regional magistrate Mr Taurai Manwere presided over the matter.