Two separate accused persons appeared before the same magistrate at Gwanda on charges of assault in contravention of section 89 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act. Both accused initially pleaded guilty. In the first case, Nkosiyabo Ngwenya was alleged to have struck Victor Justice Moyo with an axe handle on the head. During the plea inquiry, he stated he was acting in self-defence and explained he struck the complainant only after the complainant attempted to strike him with a stone. In the second case, Kelvin Nkawu was alleged to have hit the complainant on the face and head using stones and an axe. During his plea inquiry, he explained that the complainant had taken his money and advanced to assault him, and he acted because he could not physically match the complainant in a fight. Despite both accused persons clearly raising defences of self-defence during the plea inquiry, the magistrate convicted both on their own pleas of guilty. The Scrutinising Regional Magistrate referred the matters to the High Court for review, questioning the correctness of the convictions.
1. The verdicts in both cases were altered to Not Guilty. 2. The sentences were quashed. 3. The matters were remitted to the court a quo for trial de novo before a different magistrate. 4. In the event of conviction, the trial court must take into account the portion of the sentences already served by the accused persons before they were set aside.
A plea of guilty must be genuine and unequivocal. Where an accused person raises a defence during a plea inquiry that negates the unlawfulness of their conduct (such as self-defence), a plea of not guilty must be entered. Both elements of a crime - the actus reus and the mens rea - must be present and admitted before a conviction on a plea of guilty can be properly returned. A conviction entered where the accused has denied the unlawfulness of their conduct constitutes an irregularity that vitiates the entire proceedings.
The court made general observations that magistrates should keep in mind that a crime consists of two elements (actus reus and mens rea) and both must be present before a plea of guilty can be properly returned. The court noted that invariably in assault cases, an accused would admit the actus reus while denying the mens rea, and for this reason, magistrates should be alert to the possibility of defences emerging from an accused's responses during a plea inquiry. The court also directed that in the event of a conviction on retrial, the trial court must take into account the portion of the sentence already served.
This case is significant in Zimbabwean criminal procedure as it reinforces the fundamental principle that a plea of guilty must be genuine and unequivocal. It provides important guidance to magistrates on conducting proper plea inquiries, particularly emphasizing the need to be vigilant in identifying defences that may emerge during the inquiry process. The case highlights that both the actus reus and mens rea must be established before a conviction can be entered on a plea of guilty, and that denial of unlawfulness (such as raising self-defence) negates a guilty plea. It serves as a reminder of the importance of careful scrutiny of plea proceedings to prevent miscarriages of justice.