They
argue
that
the
date
on
the
document
does
not
align
with
the
victim’s
date
of
death.
Bigson
Nyoni
and
Langton
Makonye,
members
of
the
Zimbabwe
Republic
Police,
along
with
Ross
Johnston
and
Kyle
Bennet
from
the
neighbourhood
watch
committee,
face
charges
for
the
murder
of
the
then
34-year-old
Paul
Munakopa.
Nyoni
and
Makonye
are
represented
by
Kholwani
Ngwenya
of
T
J
Mabhikwa
and
Partners,
while
Johnston
and
Bennet
are
represented
by
Prince
Butshe-Dube
of
Mathonsi
Ncube
Law
Chambers.
The
defence
argues
that
the
post-mortem
indicates
it
was
conducted
on
May
21,
2020,
whereas
the
victim’s
date
of
death
is
recorded
as
May
24,
2020.
They
claim
this
discrepancy
casts
doubt
on
the
accuracy
of
other
details
in
the
document.
The
State
countered
that
the
defence
could
have
raised
these
concerns
earlier,
as
they
had
the
documents
in
their
possession
for
some
time.
It
also
noted
that
it
would
request
a
medical
expert
to
testify
in
court,
interpret
the
post-mortem
findings,
and
determine
whether
the
report
should
be
accepted
as
evidence.
High
Court
Judge
Justice
Naison
Chivayo
postponed
the
trial
to
November
11
for
continuation.
Munakopa
allegedly
succumbed
to
gunshot
wounds
sustained
during
a
high-speed
chase
and
shootout
that
occurred
during
the
Covid-19
lockdown.
In
their
defence,
the
police
officers
claimed
they
were
on
duty
on
the
night
of
the
incident
and
had
been
briefed
about
a
black
Honda
Fit
vehicle
suspected
to
have
been
involved
in
criminal
activities
in
the
area.
They
stated
that
Munakopa,
who
was
with
his
girlfriend,
violated
lockdown
regulations,
and
when
they
attempted
to
stop
him
for
questioning,
he
fled.
This
led
to
the
shooting
in
an
attempt
to
stop
the
car.