Chronicle Editor
Jean Sigauke, Sunday News Reporter
A 45-year-old Plumtree man who could not stomach being ditched by his lover for another man went on the rampage and set fire on her two huts.
He has since been sentenced to seven months in prison. The man, Limukani Ncube (45), was brought before Plumtree magistrate Mr Arafat Khozanani facing a charge of destruction of property.
He pleaded guilty to the charge and was sentenced to seven months in prison which were wholly suspended on condition that he pays his former girlfriend Yemukelani Sibanda (41) $786 663 as compensation for the burnt huts.
Circumstances as presented by the prosecutor Mr Foster Makuvere were that Ncube went out with the intention of visiting his girlfriend Sibanda who he was having issues with.
On arrival at her home, he was told that she had gone to attend a traditional dance ceremony in the area and he followed her there.
The court was told that Ncube got to the ceremony and found Sibanda in the company of her former lover and that infuriated him.
He demanded that Sibanda leaves the ceremony and follow him home but she refused saying she was no longer interested in him and told him to leave her and her children alone.
The State further told the court that in a fit of rage and after being embarrassed in front of other people, Ncube left the ceremony and headed straight to Sibanda’s homestead where he set alight the two huts before proceeding to his home.
A report was made to the police leading to his arrest and subsequent appearing in court.
Meanwhile, appearing before the same magistrate in an unrelated case was a 36-year-old man village child protection officer who was arraigned before Plumtree magistrate court to answer to charges of indecent assault for fondling a 12-year-old girl.
The 36-year-old was brought before the courts where he pleaded not guilty to having the girl sit on his lap before he fondled her breasts.
It was the State’s case as presented by Mr Makuvere that sometime in June 2021 in the Figtree area, the man was working at the victim’s homestead where he was hired as a builder.
The girl’s mother then asked her to call him for lunch in the house and while she was delivering the message, he allegedly pulled her and sat her on his lap where he then proceeded to fondle her breasts.
He was seen by the victim’s brother and he then let go of the girl.
After finishing his job he was paid and he was not seen for a while only for him to then send a message to the victim’s mother telling her that he had fallen in love with her 12-year-old daughter.
The message read: “May I ask you something if you are free, I can’t hold myself over your daughter and I love her and can’t hold myself over her and I cannot go on without her.”
After a few days of sending the message he then went to the victim’s homestead and apologised to the girl’s mother and grandmother for expressing himself the way he did in the message.
He is also facing a similar charge as the victim’s sister has also lodged a police report against him for committing an indecent act on her.
He was remanded in custody to 27 April for continuation of trial.
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