Online Reporter
Danisa Masuku [email protected]
SIX villagers from Filabusi in Insiza District have escaped a custodial sentence after the Bulawayo High Court convicted them of assault instead of murder for attacking a herd boy they accused of stealing a goat before he was later found dead.
The six were among 15 villagers initially charged with the murder of 35-year-old Bongani Elvis Ndlovu. They pleaded guilty to assault, while the remaining nine accused persons absconded and are yet to appear in court.
Justice Ngoni Nduna fined each of the six US$300 or the Zimbabwe currency equivalent, with the alternative of six months’ imprisonment, before wholly suspending a further six-month prison sentence for five years.
The judge ruled that while the court could not conclude the assault caused Ndlovu’s death, “assault is a very serious offence that should not be committed.”
The court heard the villagers assaulted Ndlovu with switches and a knobkerrie after accusing him of stealing a goat. He was forced to confess and promise compensation before being released.
Days later, his decomposed body was found in a bush near the village.
More details to follow…..
