Bail for granny cattle rustler

A 71-year-old woman from Ntabazinduna in Umguza District, Sithabile Ngwenya, who is being accused of three separate incidents of stealing a herd of 20 cattle valued at over US$16 000, has been granted bail.

Ngwenya was initially denied bail but Bulawayo High Court judge, Justice Evangelista Kabasa, granted her bail on Tuesday.

Her bail conditions require that she resides at her given address in Bulawayo while awaiting trial, reports to the police once a week on Fridays, and refrains from interfering with State witnesses.

She is set to appear in court today for possible commencement of trial with legal representation from Mr Tawanda Tavengwa of Mutuso, Taruvinga and Mhiribidi Legal Practitioners.

Ngwenya allegedly committed the theft with co-conspirator Muneyi Ndlovu, who remains at large. She initially appeared before Bulawayo provincial magistrate, Mrs Beverly Madzikatire, facing three counts of stock theft.

Prosecutor, Mrs Tsungai Charmaine Mutapi-Saunyama, told the court that Ngwenya and Ndlovu stole four cattle from a kraal at Number 2 Broad Ekhaya Farm, Imbesu, in Umguza District on August 18 and drove them to Ngwenya’s plot in Ntabazinduna, re-branded the animals and then cleared them with the police and veterinary officers.

Ngwenya then transported them to Bulawayo Abattoirs in Kelvin West where she sold them after falsely claiming the animals were hers.

Despite the complainant reporting their absence, no cattle were recovered. The total value of the missing cattle was US$2 800.

The accused reportedly repeated this modus operandi a week later, stealing five cattle and sold them to the same abattoir in Kelvin West.

On September 8, Ngwenya reportedly stole 11 more cattle from the same farm.

However, her luck ran out when the owner of the animals, who had been tipped off by his herdboy, caught Ngwenya in the act as she was loading the 11 cattle into a truck belonging to one Trevor Girison and she was arrested.

Prosecutor, Mrs Mutapi-Saunyama, said they had gathered evidence, including stock clearance certificates, movement permits for the stolen cattle and CCTV footage showing her receiving payments at the abattoir.

She pointed out discrepancies in Ngwenya’s stock register, showing that she had sold more bulls than she owned, with her last bull being sold in 2022.

In a related case, another suspected cattle rustler, Bhekilizwe Nyathi, is also being held on similar charges.

He made a bail application which was denied in court.

Nyathi is accused of stealing and slaughtering five cattle.

The State opposed bail, arguing that he was a flight risk based on the circumstances of his arrest.