HARARE – Three music producers who gathered thousands of people for a New Year’s gig in defiance of Covid-19 regulations banning gatherings have avoided jail.
DJ Fantan, born Arnold Kamudyariwa, Tafadzwa “Levels” Kadzimwe, and Simbarashe Chanachimwe, better known as Dammer, were sentenced to an effective six months in prison each in January, but released on bail after appealing against both sentence and conviction.
Justices Benjamin Chikowero and Pisirayi Kwenda of the Harare High Court, sitting on appeal, reduced the trio’s sentence to a suspended three months and a fine of Z$2,000 after ruling that magistrate Vongai Muchuchuti’s sentence of 12 months, with six suspended, was excessive.
In granting the trio Z$10,000 bail each, Justice David Foroma had ruled that they were likely to succeed in their appeal.
The three were convicted and sent to jail early this year after pleading guilty to organising a potential coronavirus super-spreader bash outside Matapi Flats in Mbare which attracted thousands of revellers on New Year’s eve.
They were, however, left to serve six months after half of their sentence was conditionally suspended.
