Itayi Uthant Makombe (51) is facing unlawful possession of
a firearm and disorderly conduct or alternatively contravening road traffic regulations
and has pleaded guilty to both charges. However Harare magistrate Mr Simon
Kandiyero had ordered that he be examined to see if he is mentally stable,
while he is in custody as the reports were finalised, before he hands down his
ruling.
The State yesterday said they had received a report from
one doctor and were expecting to receive a second one from a different doctor
by end of day yesterday.
Makombe is expected back in court today.
The State told the court that on June 5, at around 6am
Makombe parked his Land Rover Defender at the intersection of Josiah Tongogara
Avenue and Sam Nujoma Street Harare. He disembarked from the vehicle, climbed
on the back and sat on a folding chair while wrapping himself with a blanket.
The court heard that he started playing an African drum and
shouting in Shona language: “Ambuya Nehanda vamuka, ropa zhinji rakadeuka uye
richiri kudeuka” meaning “Nehanda has resurrected, a lot of blood has been
spilt and still spilling”.
Two police officers came to the scene and ordered Makombe
to remove the vehicle from the intersection. Police had to eventually use
minimum force to remove him from the vehicle and arrest him.
On the second count, on June 6 police received information
that Makombe was in possession of a firearm without a valid firearm
certificate.
So acting on that information, Makombe led the police to
his house where they recovered a black CZ Vzorpistol with a magazine of 9 by
7.65 mm calibre rounds stashed in a bag.
The firearm certificate expired on March 1 last year and he
failed to renew it on time.
In mitigation, his lawyer had told the court that his
client was depressed and drunk when he committed the offence. Herald
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