HARARE – Two Chinese nationals were on Tuesday jailed for 33 months each for the attempted murder of the son of former Zanu PF MP, Keith Guzah, and his girlfriend.
Luo Tingpen, 27, and Li Yize, 27, were convicted after a full trial in which prosecutor Michael Reza proved that they, together with their Zimbabwean employee Nigel Zuze, 23, intentionally hurt the two.
They have a similar case pending before the courts.
Harare magistrate Hosea Mujaya gave Zuze a shorter prison sentence of 21 months saying that he acted on instructions of his bosses, Tingpen and Yize.
Mujaya initially sentenced Tingpen and Yize to three-and-a-half years in prison while Zuze was sentenced to two and a half years in prison.
The magistrate conditionally removed nine months from the trio’s sentences.
Zuze pleaded for mercy, saying he had a family to take care of which resulted in his sentence being shortened.
The fact that the two Chinese nationals have a similar case pending before the courts weighed against them.
Mujaya ruled this was a clear indication that they were not remorseful and not law abiding.
Reza proved that Kevin Guzah and his girlfriend Kudzai Nduku were driving in a Toyota Vitz along Lincoln Road in Belgravia.
As they approached Number 17 Lincoln Road, they heard gunshots from a house.
In fear of their lives, they made a U-turn and drove towards Zuva Service Station in Belgravia.
The court heard the three convicts, who are part of a reaction team at Jinglong Security, had earlier received an alert from their client that he had been robbed by people driving a Toyota Wish.
They came out of the house where the shooting was taking place and chased after the Toyota Vitz driven by Guzah.
Guzah lost control of his vehicle and crashed into one of the fuel pumps at Zuva Service Station.
The trio, who were giving chase, jumped out of their cars, approached Guzah’s car and shot Nduku in the pelvis and assaulted her.
According to a doctor who is treating Nduku, she will never be able to walk again. Guzah got out of his car and fled but fell into a trench.
One of the men shot him in the pelvis while he was still in the trench.
