Fight over donkeys turns nasty

Tsenulo Moyo

A 33-YEAR-old man from Nyamandlovu in Matabeleland North province was arrested for assault and attempted murder over a fight for donkeys.

Mlamuli Moyo appeared before Bulawayo regional magistrate Benhilda Chiwundura facing assault and attempted murder charges. He pleaded guilty to assault and not guilty to attempted murder charges. The matter was remanded for continuation of trial.

The court heard that on 4 April 2023, Nkosilathi Gumede met Moyo and his friend only identified as Sipho at the shops who told him that they were going to Kelvin Nyoni’s homestead.
Gumede who is Nyoni’s brother-in-law is said to have accompanied them and remained outside the homestead.

Moyo and Sipho are said to have had a misunderstanding with Nyoni after they accused his son of using Sipho’s donkeys without his permission.
It was further heard that Moyo and Sipho who is still at large struck Nyoni all over the body with logs, fists and booted feet.

Nyoni is said to have run away to the bushes. After noticing this, Moyo and Sipho are said to have ganged up against Gumede who had tried to refrain them from assaulting Nyoni.

They are alleged to have taken turns to strike Gumede several times on the head with an axe saying he had revolted against them by trying to stop them from assaulting Nyoni.
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Nyoni who had been assaulted by Moyo and Sipho pleaded with the court to give a sentence of life imprisonment to Moyo citing that he was still hurt by the incident and even had to abandon his home with his wife for some time because of fear of being attacked again.

“I’m still living in fear and if the accused person is released out of imprisonment, I would feel more afraid. I wish that the accused dies in jail and I also prefer that he is sentenced to life imprisonment because of what he did,” Nyoni said.

Gumede in his testimony said he went together with Moyo and Sipho to Nyoni’s homestead, unaware of their intentions and when they arrived, they got inside the homestead while he remained outside.

“I heard Moyo and Sipho from outside accusing Nyoni of allowing his children of riding their donkeys. I then went and refrained them not to fight Nyoni,” he said.

Gumede said after Nyoni escaped the scene they accused him of being a snake and said they are going with him.

“They struck my head with an axe, and I eventually fainted. As I had fainted, I did not see the person who struck me exactly but the last person I saw was Sipho,” he said.

“When I gained consciousness, they put me in a scotch cart and tied me with a rope. They went and abandoned me in the bush. I sustained injuries on my head, side of the nose and a puncture in my arm due to the incident,” he said.

In his defence, Moyo said he found Nyoni fighting with Sipho his friend, tried to restrain them and also joined the assault.

“What happened is that I assaulted Nyoni with a log and also booted him with tennis shoes, he said.
Moyo said Nyoni fled the scene and went to the bushes. He went on to say Sipho and Gumede started fighting and fought over the possession of an axe.

“I did not notice how they struck each other with an axe as it was in the night, but I had left them together and gone back to the scotch cart”. The matter was reported to the police leading to the arrest of the accused person.