Man slapped 30 months jail sentence for blocking Mugabe’s motorcade

A MAN from Victoria Falls was this week jailed for 30 months for blocking President Mugabe’s motorcade.

Trinity Gonongono, 33, of Chinotimba suburb was charged with failing to comply with lawful instructions given by the police when he appeared before Victoria Falls magistrate Lindiwe Maphosa.

He pleaded guilty to the charge, and the magistrate gave him an effective 30 months. Nothing was suspended from the sentence.

President Mugabe was in the resort town on Thursday last week where he commissioned the rebuilt Victoria Falls International Airport on Friday.

He arrived in the town at around 6PM and as his Zim1 motorcade entered the Central Business District, Gonongono did not give way and continued driving despite being warned to pull off the road.

Prosecuting, Listen Nare said Gonongono was driving a Toyota LiteAce pickup truck with two passengers on board along Livingstone Way.

“On Thursday at 6.30PM, Gonongono was driving a Toyota Lite Ace pickup truck along Livingstone Way into Victoria Falls Central Business District with two passengers on board.

“The President’s motorcade was approaching from an opposite direction led by a police escort comprising motor vehicles and motor cycles flashing beacon lights and sounding sirens,” the prosecutor said.

Court heard that Gonongono didn’t pull of the road to give way to the motorcade as required under road traffic rules. He was arrested on the spot.