Court clears ex-boyfriend

Musawenkosi Moyo
A 38-YEAR-OLD man from Umguza in Matabeleland North Province, who was charged with domestic violence after threatening to stab his ex-girlfriend, heaved a sigh of relief when he was acquitted.

Prince Ndlovu was found not guilty when he appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Ernest Muzembe. He pleaded not guilty to the charge and was acquitted after a full trial.

Allegations which were levelled against him were that on 6 October 2024 at around 7 pm, he went to the complainant Sihle Ndlovu (32)’s home in Umguza and removed metal roofing sheets from her house while she was absent.

The court was told that on the same day at around 12 am, he returned to the complainant’s home carrying a knife and threatened to stab her with it.

In his defence, Prince stated that he had not threatened to stab the complainant, rather it was the complainant’s other boyfriend who threatened to stab him.

“We had lived together for six months and I had started to think of her as my wife but all of a sudden, she came home and told me that she had a boyfriend from Hwange who was coming to see her and indeed he came and an argument broke out, he started threatening me with a knife.

“I never threatened the complainant with a knife, rather it was her boyfriend who threatened me,” he said.

However, this fact was denied by the complainant who stated that they had only been in love for a week and that she had no other boyfriend besides the accused and that the accused was bitter over the break-up which is why he committed the act.

After a full trial, the magistrate concluded that the State had not provided sufficient evidence to prove the accused’s guilt.

The magistrate noted that the only witness to the crime was the complainant, who had only claimed to see the accused’s face in the dark and had not described his voice or clothing on the day in question.