WHILE concerned citizens are calling for a lengthy prison term for the shebeen owner who was captured on video brutalising a woman, he actually got away with a paltry fine.
It has since emerged that Kumbirai Musariri of Budiriro appeared at Mbare Magistrates’ court and fined $50 for the brutality that has sparked outrage.
The Glen View woman, who is brutally attacked in the short video clip of just over two minutes, on Sunday .She says the man savaged her for a US$6 ‘debt’.
Musariri could not be located to give his side of the story and efforts to get him at his home were fruitless with his wife saying that she was not sure where he had gone.His phone was also not reachable.
The barbaric act took place on October 22 in Budiriro 3 and Robina Makumbe, 47, is yet to come to terms with the attack.
She revealed that, besides the pain, she is still traumatised and has since stopped going to work because of the injuries she sustained.
Narrating the events on the fateful day, Robina says she was on her way to her husband’s workplace when Kumbirai, who runs a shebeen in Budiriro 3, intercepted her demanding his money.
“I was on my way to my husband’s workplace as I wanted him to give me money which I wanted to use to buy fresh vegetables for resale. Before I could reach his workplace, Musariri stopped me and grabbed me demanding his money.
“I explained to him that I was not the one who had his money but he had no time to listen and before I knew it, he attacked me, hitting me hard on the forehead.
“I even pleaded with him that we go see the person who had his money but he had no time for that. He continued attacking me until I started feeling dizzy before falling to the ground after a headbutt,” adds Robina.She recounted how Musariri continued to kick and stepping on her even after falling.
“My sister, who was accompanying me, tried to stop him but he violently pushed her and she also fell.“I’m still traumatised by the attack and I think he wanted to kill me.
“I think some police officers, who passedby during that time, are the ones who came to my rescue as he did not stop attacking me even after passing out. In my helpless state, I remember waking up at the police station where I was later taken to Harare Central Hospital.”
On the alleged debt, Robina said they were in the same “club” with Musariri together with other vendors.
In this club, members would contribute money monthly and then share proceeds of “investments”.
Robina says there was a mix-up on Musariri’s money and he ended up not getting his US$6.
She, however, exonerates herself from the debt.
“This happened in June and since then he has been harassing me even at my workplace,” she recounted.
“I am a vendor, I cook food for sale. Sometimes he would come and put sand into my cooking pots and even throw away some of the meat. This affected my business as I would incur losses each time he did that and this went on until I became broke,” she said.
Robina’s husband, Partson Sithole, said he was not happy with what Musariri did.
Partson feels Musariri should have approached him instead of his wife and as men they would have resolved the issue amicably.
“I am not happy with what Musariri did, he should have approached me instead of Robina, and I could have negotiated with him on how to settle the debt.
“Akandishora kusvika pekupedzesera, kundiroverawo here mudzimai wangu zvakadaro.”
Partson, who was not around during the attack says he has still not seen the video as his friends have discouraged, him from seeing it.
“When it happened I was not there, I only heard about it but I was discouraged by my friends to watch the video clip, I am hurt.”