The magistrate said that the testimony from the witnesses
showed some bias considering that she was the one who went to Masunda’s work
place and after being allegedly assaulted, she further stayed for more than two
hours .
The complainant is Ropafadzo Sibusiso Chidawu (34), the
daughter of the late Harare Metropolitan Affairs minister Oliver Chidawu.
The court heard that on August 4, 2023, Chidawu went to
Masunda’s workplace in Milton Park, Harare, to discuss some issues concerning
the Oliver Mandishona Chidawu Trust and upon entering the office Masunda,
expressed unwillingness to entertain her.
Chidawu had alleged that the accused wrestled her and she
elbowed him. She said on realising that she was being attacked, she realised
that she needed to get her cellphone so that she could record what was
happening.
She claimed that she bent over and the accused grabbed her
again, adding that she freed herself by using her left elbow to hit the
accused. In the second assault, Chidawu alleged that Masunda charged towards
her and grabbed her by the waist. She said she removed the keys from the door
to the accused office, locked herself inside his office and put the keys in her
dress, sat down and recorded the “meeting”.
After about two and half hours, she gave the accused back
his office keys and left his office.
After his acquittal, Masunda told Newsday : “I don’t bear
any ill-will towards Miss Ropafadzo Sibusiso Chidawu in spite of what she has
done. I will continue working with Ngoni Kudenga in our joint endeavour, as
co-trustees, to discharge our fiduciary duties in respect of the Oliver
Mandishona Chidawu [OMC] Trust for and on behalf of the designated
beneficiaries, especially OMC’s widow, Mrs S’piwe Chidawu (née Shemunyoro) and
their two surviving daughters — Dadirai Martha Chidawu and Ropafadzo Sibusiso
Chidawu.
“It should be noted that Mr Kudenga and I do not have any
personal, financial or pecuniary interests in the OMC Trust and any of the
companies that are beneficially owned and controlled by the said trust. We are
simply acting pro amico [for a friend] as co-founders, with the late Douglas
Tawanda Munatsi and OMC, of what is now the BancABC Group in the financial
services sectors within the Sadc region.”
He said the acquittal marked “the end of this harrowing and
unheard of saga since January 1974 (just over 50 years ago) when I began my
involvement in various facets of the legal profession”.
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