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James Maridadi

Prosper Dembedza Court Correspondent
The second witness in the case in which MDC-T Member of Parliament for Mabvuku-Tafara constituency James Maridadi is being accused of grabbing a National Railways of Zimbabwe parking ticket book yesterday said the legislator should have just reported his suspicions to the police instead of confiscating it.

Maridadi is facing charges of unauthorised borrowing or use of property after allegedly grabbing, in a fit of rage, a ‘parking ticket book’ worth $2,50 from a National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) salesman.

He is on $100 bail.

During cross examination by the legislator’s lawyer, Ms Auxilia Mangwaira, the second witness Amos Tembo who is a commercial assistant at NRZ, said everyone who had a query with regards to the ticket book was free to inquire or confirm it for free.

Tembo was answering a question put to him by Ms Mangwaira who had asked whether her client was wrong in doubting the authenticity of the book since there was no label that it was a parking ticket book.

“Everyone who seeks assistance is assisted freely by NRZ personnel and in this case Mr Maridadi as an educated man should have simply reported the matter to the nearest police station that is Harare Central Police Station or at least confirm it with NRZ personnel instead of snatching it,” he said.

The matter was deferred to today for continuation of trial.

Allegations are that on October 9, Zivanai Muzokomba, who is employed by NRZ as a ticket salesman, was manning the NRZ parcels parking zone and was receipting parking fees. It is alleged that Maridadi parked his vehicle at the NRZ-controlled car park in the central business district of Harare. Mr Muzokomba waited for Maridadi’s return and he asked the legislator to pay the parking fees, but Maridadi became furious and demanded to see the ticket book which the salesman was using.

Mr Muzokomba, the court heard, showed Maridadi the ticket book but the legislator grabbed the book and drove away along Kenneth Kaunda Avenue. It is the State’s case that Muzokomba managed to note down Maridadi’s vehicle registration number and reported the case at Harare Central Police Station.

A Central Vehicle Registry check revealed that the legislator owned the vehicle.