admin
Plumtree Correspondent
THE trial of former Minister in the Organ of National Healing, Reconciliation and Integration, Moses Mzila Ndlovu, who is facing charges of assaulting a villager, will start next month. Ndlovu, the deputy secretary-general of MDC, is being jointly charged with two of his workers Blessed Tshuma (20) and Thandazani Muchatura (19).
The matter was postponed to 11 November by Plumtree magistrate Mr Livard Philemon.
This was after Ndlovu’s lawyer Mr Matshobana Ncube, of Phulu and Ncube Legal Practitioners said he wanted time to go through State papers which were given to him on Monday and prepare a defence case.
The former minister is out of custody on $100 bail.
Ndlovu was accusing the villager Mr Aaron Mabheka, who is a domestic worker at Plot 22 Fairview area in Figtree, of allegedly poaching animals at his farm.
The prosecutor, Mr Medica Tshuma, said on 14 September at about 6pm Mr Mabheka and his 14-year-old son went to Khami Magazine Farm which belongs to Ndlovu to inspect wire snares they had set on the farm.
On arrival Mr Mabheka discovered that one of the wires had trapped a duiker.
The animal which was still alive made noises, which alerted Ndlovu and his workers.
Mr Mabheka axed the animal and as he was taking it out of the farm, Ndlovu and his two workers emerged and ordered the two to stop, the court was told.
They allegedly disarmed Mr Mabheka of the axe and tied him together with his son.
Ndlovu and his workers allegedly hit the complainant several times with a metal bar and a log and also punched him.
Mr Mabheka sustained injuries on the head, back and right knee.
He reported the matter to the police leading to the arrest of the trio.
Ndlovu has another pending case of armed robbery in the courts which he allegedly committed in April when he threatened two firewood poachers Mr Vupenyu Gumbo and Mr Lucky Dube who had allegedly strayed into his farm before robbing them of their $365, car keys, cellphone and personal identity documents.
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter