A Marondera magistrate recently acquitted eight members of the Assemblies of God-Spiritual Movement (AoG-SM), charged with obstructing a probation officer from accessing their premises.
The incident occurred on April 25, when Brian Muchemwa reported to the police that he was denied access to his three children, who are also part of the church. This prompted police to investigate the church premises.
The accused were Luckymore Zinyama (58), Ngoni Zinyama (27), Farai Maisiri (44), Prisage Maisiri (32), Tadiwa Mutisi (18), Anesu Takunyai (18), Tamirirashe Chiwade (16) and Stallon Chakasviba (23)
They appeared before Magistrate Ashton Dube on December 12, 2024.
In his ruling, the magistrate concluded that law enforcement successfully fulfilled their duties, which ultimately led to the acquittal of the eight members.
The ruling stated, “Government officials who visited the accused’s place of worship achieved their objective in the sense that the children were taken to police and the probation officer managed to interview the children.”
Therefore, it was deemed inappropriate to infer that the accused hindered the probation officer. The magistrate also noted a lack of sufficient evidence against the accused, highlighting instances where they cooperated with law enforcement officers.
