“John Doe” fined US$300 by a Harare Magistrate

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A 25-year-old South African national has been fined US$300 by the Harare Magistrates Court for unlawful possession of ammunition.

Cuan Reed Govender was arrested at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport on Friday, 01 March where he intended to catch an Airlink flight to South Africa.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said Govender was arrested by the police after they searched his baggage and found 5 live rounds of ammunition. The NPA said:

Cuan Reed Govender aged 25 from Durban South Africa, was sentenced today at the Harare Magistrates Court for unlawful possession of ammunition.

He was arrested at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport on Friday the 1st of March 2024 when live rounds of ammunition were detected in his luggage by the baggage scanner.

The Police searched his baggage and found 5 live rounds of ammunition. The accused had intended to board an Airlink flight to South Africa.

The court ordered the accused person to pay a fine of USD300.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Chief Secretary in the Office of the President and Cabinet (Presidential Communications) George Charamba on Monday, 04 March claimed Govender was the anonymous “John Doe”, who sent a bomb/firearm alert to FastJet alleging a plan to attack Zimbabwe’s airports, particularly Victoria Falls International Airport last Friday. He wrote on X:

In the interests of ongoing operations, we leave it at that for now. We thank Zimbabweans for remaining calm while operations are underway. We hope to reach closure very soon.

The email sent to Fastjet by “John Doe” resulted in the temporary closure of the Victoria Falls International Airport on Friday.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa was forced to abandon a trip to Victoria Falls mid-flight after authorities were warned of a “credible bomb or firearm threat” following the email.

Reports indicate that X-ray scanners detected five bullets in Govender’s blue bag he carried to the airport.

He reportedly told detectives that the bag was the one he used when going to the shooting range after buying a gun to defend himself, adding that he must have forgotten to remove the bullets.

Govender was taken to the Harare Magistrates Court on 02 March where he appeared without a lawyer before magistrate Sharon Rakafa.

He returned to the court yesterday, 04 March, where he was fined US$300 for unlawful possession of ammunition.

–Pindula