Mbare’s New Year Eve music gig organisers- Dhama, DJ Fantan and DJ Levels have been jailed for twelve months in prison for violating the Covid-19 regulations.
Harare magistrate Vongai Muchuchuti Guwuriro jailed the trio which had pleaded guilty to partaking in and convening a public gathering during a national lockdown in contravention of section 5(3)(a) of the Public Health (Covid-19 Prevention and Containment) Regulations of Statutory Instrument 77 of 2020.
The trio, Simbarashe Chanachimwe (Dhama), Arnold Kamudyariwa (DJ Fantan) and Tafadzwa Kadzimwe (DJ Levels) will however serve six months effective after half of the sentence was suspended on condition that they do not commit a similar offence in five years.
“Their plea of guilt was a sign of remorse but they did not take heed of the current lockdown curfew which ran from 10pm to 6am when they made the flier.
“By making the flier, they should have foreseen that the public would come in attendance taking into cognisance the area they intended to host the event,” said Muchuchuti Guwuriro.
The magistrate said fining the three or giving them community service would be a mockery to the offences they committed and would not be deterrent enough for those who may consider committing similar offences.
The three pleaded guilty when they initially appeared in court on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has suspended four police officers who were on duty the night Chill Spot Records producer, DJ Fantan hosted a New Year’s Eve bash in Mbare in contravention with the new set COVID-19 rules.
