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Tanaka Mrewa, Court Reporter
A TENANT at a house in Sizinda suburb in Bulawayo has been fined $100 for insulting her landlady saying she was possessed by demons and was shapeless and worthless.

Dorcas Moyo (30) was convicted on her own plea of guilty to a criminal insult charge.

Moyo said she had a misunderstanding with her landlady, Priscilla Maburungwe (30), while burning sheep fat as she had been told to do at church.

The burning did not go well with other people who live at the house as the smoke spread to their rooms.

“I insulted my landlady out of anger Your Worship. I told her that I hate people who succumb to demons because they had thrown my door mat away. These people gave me an eviction notice after I had burnt some sheep fat to cure myself. I got the fat from church and my landlady was complaining that the smoke chokes them. They chased my church mates away calling them snakes,” said Moyo.

Western Commonage Magistrate Mr Lungile Ncube fined Moyo $100 for the crime.

“Your landlady was correct to complain about the burning fat. There is no way you could limit that smoke to your room only. It surely reached the other rooms. You should have considered them too. If you feel like the living conditions are no longer conducive find another house. You will pay a fine of $100. Failure to do so will attract a jail term of 90 days,” said Mr Ncube.

Prosecuting, Ms Magret Takawira said on Friday last week at 3.30PM, Moyo confronted Maburungwe asking why her door mat had been removed.

“Accused insulted complainant saying she was demon possessed. She said ‘You are a toothless dog and you love gossiping that’s why you are ugly. You are shapeless and worthless. That’s why you are always coughing’,” said Ms Takawira.

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