Kudakwashe Mahachi’s sister, Meline Mahachi, has dismissed the footballer’s claims that he owns the phone that he is charged with stealing.
Mahachi is on trial for allegedly stealing his sister’s phone in a bid to destroy evidence implicating him for allegedly scalding his four-year-old son with boiling water.
In his defence, Mahachi said the iPhone XR he allegedly stole belongs to him and he had given the phone to his sister for safe keeping whilst he was away in South Africa. He said he uses the phone when he is in Zimbabwe.
Mahachi said he had gone to his sister’s place of residence to collect his belongings including the phone and the money that Meline was keeping for him.
He said Meline handed over the phone and the money to him as per their agreement.
Mahachi as he was about to leave, Meline’s husband, Paul Sixpence, violently grabbed the phone and the keys to his car.
After a number of minutes, Sixpence is said to have brought back the car keys and Mahachi left the scene.
However, Meline told the court that her brother is lying as the phone belonged to her and was bought by her husband. She said:
I reside in Mzilikazi, I am a vendor. I know the accused person. He is my younger brother. I know why he is in court today.
On 13 June whilst I was sitting at home with my husband, he called me using his wife’s friend’s cellphone.
He asked me to come out so that we could talk. I went outside and found him parked.
He was with his wife, Zibusiso and another female.
The accused person indicated that he had lost his phone. He asked if he could use mine to phone.
The accused then said to Zibusiso ‘let us go’. When I heard him saying they should go, I grabbed his hand and half of my hand was in the car.
Sixpence corroborated his wife’s version of events, saying he bought a phone for her in 2015 and there were several swap deals in 2018 and 2020 after the phone’s screen was damaged. He said:
I am 37 years old, I reside in Mzilikazi in Bulawayo. I am employed. This woman is my wife.
I know the accused person as my brother-in-law. I know why he is in court today. I was there when the phone was stolen.
It happened on 13 June at around 1 pm. We were about to leave our place to attend a function, my wife received a call.
We waited for them to arrive. After a few minutes I followed, and I saw my wife trying and pulling something from the car.
I bought the phone in 2015 but there were several swap deals. She has been using the phone since 2020.