In a recent court case, popular Zimbabwean comedian Comic Pastor has been acquitted of charges of physical abuse levied against him by his ex-wife, Munyaradzi Mavura.
The court reached its verdict yesterday, finding Comic Pastor not guilty.
The legal proceedings unfolded following Mavura’s social media posts last year, in which she accused her former husband, Comic Pastor, of subjecting her to physical abuse during their brief marriage. On January 10th, 2023, Mavura took to Facebook to share her account of the alleged abuse she endured at the hands of the comedian. In her post, she detailed instances of physical assault while she was pregnant, allegedly perpetrated by Comic Pastor and his family.
According to Mavura’s narrative, she experienced a distressing ordeal where her ex-in-laws labeled her a witch and forcibly returned her to her parents’ home. Mavura claimed that Comic Pastor and his brother, Phillip, pulled and pushed her until she became disoriented and fell. Days later, she suffered a miscarriage, but she asserted that Comic Pastor showed no concern and never checked on her well-being.
Mavura further alleged that Comic Pastor would openly call his girlfriends in her presence, displaying a lack of respect for their marital bond. Upon discovering a message from another woman on his phone, Mavura claimed that the comedian physically assaulted her. She later revealed that Comic Pastor’s current wife was the person behind the message.
In December 2023, Comic Pastor, a well-known comedian and media personality in Zimbabwe, voluntarily surrendered himself to the police after Mavura publicly accused him of abuse during their marriage. He did so in order to address the allegations made against him by Mavura.
However, during the court proceedings yesterday, Comic Pastor was cleared of all abuse charges. The lack of compelling evidence played a significant role in the court’s decision. Mavura was the sole witness presented by the prosecution, and the medical report she provided did not conclusively establish a causal link between the alleged abuse and her miscarriage.
Additionally, the court discredited Mavura’s claim that she delayed pursuing the matter due to her lack of awareness regarding her rights, H- Metro revealed. It was revealed that she had reported the incident back in 2016, undermining her assertion of being unaware of the necessary actions to take.
Mavura further contended that she was coerced into delaying seeking justice by the presence of Noddy, Comic Pastor’s current wife and former girlfriend during their marriage, with whom she would allegedly argue and experience physical altercations.
Comic Pastor staunchly denied the allegations, and Epworth magistrate Jesline Madaka determined that the prosecution had failed to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt. As a result, Comic Pastor was declared not guilty and acquitted. The court’s decision brings the legal proceedings to a close in this highly publicized case.
SOURCE :IHARARE
