'Perhaps two hundred elephant, I am not sure.' that the Minister Tungata Zebiwe was 'And you state there?'
'He came after the elephant had been killed. He came to count the ivory and take it away in his helicopter-2
'What helicopter?'
'A government helicopter.' 41 object, your lordship, the Point is irrelevant.'
'Objection overruled, Mr. Petal, please continue.' When his turn came for crossexamination, Mr. Joseph Petal went into the attack immediately.
u that you were never a member of 11 put it toyo e fighters. That you Minister Tungata Zebiwe's resistanc never, in fact, met the minister until that night on the Karoi road--2
'I object, your lordship,' Abel Khori shouted indigthe witness in nantly. 'The defence is trying to discredit the knowledge that no records of patriotic soldiers exist and that the witness cannot, therefore, prove his gallant service to the cause.'
'Objection sustained. Mr. Petal, please confine your questions to the matter in hand and do not bully the witness.'
'Very well, your lordship.' Mr. Petal was rosy-faced with frustration as he turned back to the witness.
'Can you tell the judge when you were released from the rehabilitation centre?'
'I forget. I cannot remember.'
'Was it a long time or a short time before your arrest?'
'A short time,' the witness replied sulkily, looking down at his hands in his lap.
'Were you not released from the prison camp on the condition that you drove the truck that night, and that you aereed to 2I've evidence-' 'My lord!' shrieked Abel Khori, and the judge's voice was as shrill and indignant.
'Mr. Petal, you will not refer to state rehabilitation centres as prison camps.'
'As your lordship pleases.' Mr. Petal continued, 'Were You made any promises when you were released from the rehabilitation centre?'
'No. 'The witness looked about him unhappily.
'Were you visited in the centre, two days before your release, by a Captain Timon Nbebi of the Third Brigade?'
'No.
'Did you have anyovisitors in the camp?'
'No! NaP 'No visitors at all, are you sure?'
'The witness has already answered that question,' the judge stopped him, and Mr. Petal sighed theatrically, and threw up his hands.
'No further questions, my lord.'
'Do you intend calling any further witnesses, Mr. Khorir Craig knew that the next witness should have been Timon Nbebi, but unaccountably Abel Khori passed over him and called instead the trooper who had been knocked down by the Land-Rover.
Craig felt an uneasy little chill Of doubt at the change in the prosecution's tactics. Did the prosecutor want to protect Captain Nbebi from cross examination? Did he want to prevent Mr. Petal from pursuing the question of a visit by Timon Nbebi to the rehabilitation centre? If this was so, the implications were so Craig forced himself to put his doubts unthinkable, aside.
The necessity for all questions and replies to be translated made the entire court process long-drawn-out and tedious, so it was only on the third day that Craig was called to the witness stand.
and before Abel after Craig had taken the oath, illation, he glanced Khori had begun his exam towards the dock. Tungata Zebiwe was watching him intently and as their eyes locked, Tungata made a sign with his right hand.
In the old days when they had worked together as rangers in the Game Department, Craig and Tungata had developed this sign language to a high degree. During the dangerous work of closing in on a breeding herd to begin the bloody elephant culls during which it had been their -populating duty to destroy surplus animals that were over the reserves, or when they were stalking a marauding cattle-killing pride of lions, they had communicated silently and swiftly with this private language.
Now Tungata gave him the clenched fist, his powerful black fingers closing over the clear pink of his palm in the sign that said 'Beware! Extreme danger.' The last time Tungata had given him that sign, he had had only microseconds to turn and meet the charge of the enraged lung-wounded lioness as she came grunting in bloody pink explosive gasps of breath out of heavy brush cover, launching herself likea golden thunderbolt upon him, so that even though the bullet from his458 magnum had smashed through her heart, her momentum had hurled Craig off his feet.
Now Tungata's sign made his nerves tingle and the hair on his forearms rise, at the memory of danger past and the promise of danger present. Was it a threat or a warning, Craig wondered, staring at Tungata. He could not be certain, for Tungata was now expressionless and unmoving.
Craig gave him the signal, 'Query? I do not understand,' but Tungata ignored it, and Craig abruptly realized that he had missed Abel Khori's opening question.
'I'm sorry will you repeat that?' Swiftly Abel Khori led him through his questions.
'Did you see the driver of the truck make any signal as the Mercedes approached?'
'Yes, he flashed his lights.'
'And what was the response?'
'The Mercedes stopped and two of the occupants left the vehicle and went to speak with the driver of the truck.'
'In your opinion, was this a prearranged meeting?'
'Objection, your lordship, the witness cannot know that.'
'Sustained. The witnes will disregard the question.'
'We come now to ydhr gallant rescue of Miss Jay from the evil clutches of tl* accused.'
'Objection the word 'evil'.'
'You will discontinue the use of the adjective 'evil'.'
'As your lordship pleases.' After that hand-signal, and during the rest of Craig's testimony, Tungata Zebiwe sat immovable as a figure carved in the granite of Matabeleland, with his chin sunk in his chest, but his eyes never left Craig's face.
As Mr. Petal rose to cross-examine, he moved for the first time, leaning forward to rumble a few terse words. Mr. Petal seemed to protest, but Tungata made a commanding gesture.
'No questions, your lordship,' Mr. Petal acquiesced, and sank back in his seat, freeing Craig to leave the witness box without harassment.
Sally-Anne was the last of the prosecution witnesses and, after Peter Fungabera, perhaps the most telling.
She was still limping with her sprained ankle, so that Abel Khori hurried forward to help her into the witness box. The dark shadow of the bruise on her neck was the only blemish on her skin, and she gave her evidence without hesitation in a clear pleasing voice.
'When the accused seized you, what were your feelings?'
'I was in fear of my life.'
'You say the accused struck you. Where did the blow land?'
'Here on my neck you can see the bruise.'
'You state that the accused aimed the stolen rifle at Mr. Mellow. What was your reaction?
will you tell the court whether you sustained any tAnd other injuries.' Abel Khori made the most of such a lovely witness, and very wisely, Mr.
Petal once again declined to crossexamine.
The prosecution closed its case on the evening of the third day, leaving Craig troubled and depressed.
ourite steakhouse, and He and Sally-Anne ate at her fay a bottle of good Cape wine did not cheer him.
even 'That business about the driver never having met Tungata before, and being released only on a promise to drive the truck-'
'You didn't believe that?' Sally-Anne scoffed. 'Even the judge made no secret of how far- fetched he thought that I was.
After he dropped her at her apartment, Craig walked alone through the deserted streets, feeling lonely and AA
betrayed though he could not find a logical reason for the feeling.
r Joseph Petal QC opened his defence by calling Tungata Zebiwe's chauffeur.
He was a heavily built Matabele, although young, already running to fat, with a round face that should have been jovial and smiling, but was now troubled and clouded. His head had been freshly shaved, and he never looked at Tungata once during his time on the witness stand.
'On the night of your arrest, what orders did Minister Zebiwe give you?'
'Nothing. He told me nothing.' Mr. Petal looked genuinely puzzled and consulted his notes.
'Did he not tell you where to drive? Did you not know where you were going?'
'He said 'Go straight', 'Turn left here,'
'Turn right here',' the driver muttered, 'I did not know where we were going.' Obviously Mr. Petal was not expecting this reply.
'Did Minister Zebiwe not order you to drive to Tuti Mission?'
'Oh ection, your lordship.'
'Do not lead the witness, Mr. Petal.' Mr. Joseph Petal was clearly
