Online Reporter
Danisa Masuku [email protected]
THREE neighbourhood watch committee members, accused of fatally assaulting a man they caught dragging a visually impaired woman, have appeared in court.
Dickson Zondo (52), Manqoba Masuku (53), and Johannes Dube (58), all from Gulalikabili in Tsholotsho District, Matabeleland North Province, appeared before Tsholotsho resident magistrate Mr Maxwell Ncube facing murder charges.
They were not asked to plead and only spoke to confirm the allegations levelled against them. They were advised of their legal right to apply for bail at the Bulawayo High Court and to seek the services of a lawyer.
The trio was remanded in custody until 15 June.
Prosecuting, Ms Nobuhle Mguni told the court that last month on 30 May at around 9PM, the accused persons and other villagers heard their visually impaired neighbour, Sithabile Ncube (58), screaming at her homestead.
“Within a few minutes, Ncube’s son arrived at one of the villagers’ homes and informed them that a villager named Philani Tshuma, who was armed with a knife and a shovel, wanted to kill his mother.
“The accused persons rushed to Ncube’s homestead, where upon arrival they found Tshuma dragging Ncube, having torn her skirt and underwear. Tshuma, who was armed, became violent towards them and attempted to strike the accused persons with the shovel as he resisted arrest,” said Mguni.
The court heard that the accused persons took turns to assault Tshuma. They eventually managed to apprehend and handcuff him. However, Tshuma escaped and ran away.
The accused persons tracked his footprints and found him lying on the grass beside a road leading to Gulalikabili Business Centre. Observing that his condition had deteriorated, they took him to the business centre, where they organised transport to ferry him to Tsholotsho District Hospital.
However, he died on the way to the hospital.
