Mighty Warriors Coach Shadreck Mlauzi Acquitted
Mighty Warriors coach Shadreck Mlauzi was on Wednesday, 10 January acquitted of indecent assault charges by Harare magistrate Ethel Chichera.
Judgment had been set for last week but was moved to today where Mlauzi was found not guilty.
In her ruling, the magistrate stated that there were inconsistencies in the complainant’s testimony, adding that the State failed to prove its case against Mlauzi.
Mlauzi is the only coach to guide a Zimbabwean national football team to the Olympic Games after his Mighty Warriors made it to Brazil in 2016.
A teacher by profession, Mlauzi was being accused of indecent assault by a member of the Mighty Warriors technical team.
In the first count, it was alleged that on 26 September, Mlauzi and the Mighty Warriors were in camp at Pandari Lodge in Glen Lorne, Harare before the squad departed for South Africa for the 2023 COSAFA Women’s Championship which took place from 4 to 15 October 2023.
The complainant allegedly asked for the training programme but Mlauzi told her to collect it from his room.
Later that day she went to the room to collect it and Mlauzi told her he would email it to her.
Mlauzi allegedly then went on to say “pafoni unonditiza chimbondipawo kiss” asking the complainant to kiss him on his lips.
He allegedly grabbed the complainant’s shoulders and pulled her towards him in an attempt to kiss her without her consent but she refused.
The accused allegedly further demanded to have his body massaged through a WhatsApp call and asked for sexual intimacy which she refused.
In the second count, the State alleged that on 04 October, Mlauzi and the complainant were in South Africa at Garden Court Hotel with the rest of the team members.
On handing the hotel room keys to the complainant, Mlauzi allegedly instructed her to come and massage him.
The following day, while at a training session, the complainant told the coach that they didn’t have resistance bands for training and he told her to collect money from his room.
The complainant went to collect the money from the accused’s room and when he handed over the US$20, he allegedly grabbed the complainant’s buttocks and said “chimbondipawo zvinhu izvi ndimbozvinzwa.” The complainant refused and went away.
The next day, Mlauzi allegedly started harassing the complainant after the match and that prompted her to register her complaint with the COSAFA Safeguarding Officer who later counselled her.
The complainant claimed ZIFA sought to protect Mlauzi when she first reported the case.
More: Pindula News
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