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Leonard Ncube in HWANGE
RETIRED Colonel Eddie Sigoge, the security manager of companies belonging to the late Vice-President Landa John Nkomo, has been arraigned before the courts and faces eight counts of attempted murder after he allegedly opened fire at the family of businessman Mr Langton Masunda.
Mr Masunda was embroiled in a heated land dispute with the late VP Nkomo in the Gwayi Conservancy.
Sigoge (61) is facing eight counts of attempting to kill the Masunda family and its friends at Lugo Ranch in Gwayi.
The alleged shooting in which Sigoge, of 70903 Lobengula West, left Mr Patrick Masunda for dead, occurred in 2009.
Sigoge has an additional charge of possessing a firearm without a licence after it was discovered that the pistol he used belonged to his employer, which had been registered in his (VP Nkomo)’s name for personal protection.
Although admitting that he shot Mr Patrick Masunda, Sigoge pleaded not guilty to the eight counts of attempted murder and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm, saying he opened fire because the complainants had intruded onto the property.
“I fired three warning shots in the air when I noticed that there were some people who were driving a car around.
“I shot Patrick because he was advancing and it was at night and later fired at the car which was speeding off.
“I wanted to shoot the tyres to deflate them but I missed. I wanted to be the complainant after apprehending them than to be the defendant like this. It was dark but I could see a figure under a tree,” Sigoge told Hwange regional magistrate Mrs Dambudzo Malunga yesterday.
VP Nkomo’s son Mr Mzamo Nkomo was supposed to lead evidence but did not turn up prompting Mrs Malunga to postpone the matter to 14 January next year.
Recently when the court went for inspection in loco, Mr Nkomo narrated how he and Sigoge and the farm workers woke up from a chalet they were sleeping in to meet an advancing team of Messrs Patrick, Benjamin, Robert and Langton Masunda, their worker Mr Vincent Ganizani, Mr Zenzo Siziba and Mr Patrick Ndlovu.
He told the court that the Masundas removed their property from Jijima Lodge and attempted to burn it resulting in Sigoge firing at them.
The complainants’ addresses were given as Number 1 Marion Avenue Four Winds for Messrs Patrick, Benjamin and Robert Masunda, 4 Volunteer Farm in Dete for their brother Langton, Umguza Safaris for Mr Ganizani and Jijima Lodge for Mr Ndlovu.
In his evidence, Mr Langton Masunda told the court how his brother was shot and how he was rushed to hospital injured on both thighs and genitals.
Prosecuting, Mr Sifelumusa Fuzane told the court how on 9 May 2009 Sigoge opened fire on the complainants and nearly killed one of them.
He said the complainants left Halfway Hotel along Bulawayo-Hwange road at about 8pm going to Jijima Lodge owned by Mr Masunda (Langton) in two cars.
When they arrived, Sigoge had already armed himself after hearing the sound of cars and fired a number of shots at Mr Patrick Masunda who had advanced towards a dark spot he was hiding from.
When the other complainants noticed that their brother had been shot, the court heard, they rushed and picked him up.
Mr Fuzane said he was put in one of the cars and driven to hospital. He said Sigoge fired three more shots at the car and a bullet went through the door.
Mr Nkomo, Sigoge and some workers were lying in ambush at Lugo Ranch to block the Masundas from occupying it.
A report was later made to the police leading to Sigoge’s arrest.
Online Reporter