Grace Muradzikwa’s son aquitted of theft from Lumi...

Grace Muradzikwa’s son aquitted of theft from Luminitsa Jemwa

Harare Magistrate Feresi Chakanyuka last week aquitted Kundai Muradzikwa on charges of unlawful entry and theft of cash and valuables.

**Kundai Muradzikwa (L) has been acquitted on charges of stealing cash and goods from Luminitsa Jemwa when he evicted her in absentia after she failed to pay rentals.**

“The State failed to prove a case against the accused person and l have no choice but to acquit him,” Chakanyuka said in the ruling.

The magistrate said that the complainant’s case was fraught with irregularities as she was claiming to have lost a lot of cash yet there was evidence showing her pleading for time to look for money in order to pay her overdue bills.

The charges against Kundai, who is son to prominent insurance industry figure Grace Muradzikwa, arose from a dispute with a tenant at a Muradzikwa property.

Luminitsa Kimberly Jemwa, who was represented by Beatrice Mtetwa, accused Kundai of stealing US$32 000 cash together with US$120 000 worth of valuables from the apartment that Jemwa was renting from the Muradzikwas.

Kundai evicted Jemwa in October 2021 from No 4 Quinnington Road in Borrowdale Brooke, Harare, after she failed to pay rentals of US$1 700 per month.

Kundai rejected Jemwa’s proposal when she said she was in Johannesburg, South Africa and would pay the rental arrears in cash on her return.

Kundai allegedly forced Jemwa’s domestic worker off the premises before removing Jemwa’s belongings from the property.

Jemwa then made a police report alleging that Kundai had stolen from her.

Chakanyuka said it was not credible that Jemwa could have left such a huge amount of money in a cupboard yet the court had been presented with WhatsApp messages whereby she was pleading with her landlord to give her time to look for the money to pay rentals.

Chakanyuka also said that Kundai had conducted himself with transparency by taking photographs of the goods he removed from the house and sending them to the complainant.