Zim man found not guilty after waiting three years in jail

A Zimbabwean man from the Musina area spent almost three years in police custody before he was found innocent of his alleged crimes.

Vengai Mapungwana was arrested in December of 2017 for theft, possession of stolen property and destruction of infrastructure. He was represented by Mr Vhutshilo Lalumbe from Legal Aid South Africa, and released in October of this year after the court had found him not guilty. 

Mapungwana was in police custody from the time of his arrest in 2017, and after his release a month ago, could not locate his wife and child. “I come from a poor background, so I could not afford bail. I had to endure the stay in custody,” he said. 

He explains that his wife used to visit him in the first year, but not after that. “I had no means of communication with her or my parents. After my release, I was informed by the community that my wife had moved on. She'd gotten engaged to another man, and I have no idea of their whereabouts.

“I have to start my life all over. My wife and child are gone. My parents suffered for almost three years since, back home, I was the breadwinner in our family of seven,” Vengai told Limpopo Mirror.

He said that, although it pained him, he would have to move on, restart his life and fend for his family again from here on.

Date:13 November 2020

By: Bernard Chiguvare

Bernard Chiguvare is a Zimbabwean-born journalist. He writes mainly for the online publication, Groundup.

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