LIVINGSTONE WAZVAREMHAKA (20) became the first African to be sentenced for failing to answer his call-up, when he received a 6 month prison term in Harare Magistrates Court on 19 January. The sentence was suspended on condition that he report for duty the following week. Wazvaremhaka pleaded guilty to contravening the 1976 National Service Act by ignoring a call-up notice for 12 months Phase 1 national service, served on him in December 1978. (RDM 20.1.79; BBC 22.1.79)
An effective prison term of 3 years (5 years, 2 suspended) imposed on BITON ARADON in September 1978 was increased to 6 years by the Appellate Division in November. Aradon, a farm employee in the Mtoko area, was convicted of failing to report guerillas who planted landmines in the vicinity. His employer was subsequently killed in an explosion. In increasing the sentence, the appeal judge said that it had been "manifestly inadequate and quite out of line with the sentences in other cases." An appeal by PHINEAS SUNDAY, sentenced to 5 years, 3 suspended, was dismissed. (RH 11.11.78; FOCUS 19 p.12)
An appeal by an official of Rev. Sithole's organization (referred to as ZANU by its members and by the regime), was dismissed on 28 November. PETER MOMBESHORA, secretary for housing, had been sentenced to 5 years (2 suspended) by a regional court at Sinoia for failing to report a guerilla who visited his home in the Chitomborwizi African Purchase Area, seeking medical assistance. (In other instances, of course, members of Rev. Sithole's organization claim to have had extensive contact with guerillas, in the course of negotiating the transitional government's policy of "ceasefire"). (RH 29.11.78)
Appeals by WHISKY TENNIS, SANDARAKI CHESANI, BEANS KANIKA and WINGIRORI TAWARA, all sentenced to 12 years imprisonment in October 1978 for failing to report guerillas, have been dismissed. EDWARD DZAMONDA, however, had a 10 year sentence reduced to 3 years, while a similar sentence on KENNETH ENOS (18), the sixth accused in the original trial, was reduced to 5 years (see FOCUS 19 p.12)
