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Thandeka Moyo Court Reporter
AN Inyathi man escaped death by a whisker when his wife’s ex-husband fired gun shots at him but issed while demanding her and their child back.Phineas Chiruvigwa, a security guard at Jena Mine, allegedly confronted Nqabalezwe Ncube, who married his estranged wife in January and demanded his family back.
Ncube reportedly resisted and Chiruvigwa opened fire, using a pistol he had taken at his workplace.
He missed.
Villagers managed to disarm the mine guard and hand him to police.
Chiruvigwa appeared before regional magistrate Mark Dzira facing charges of attempted murder and possession of a firearm without a licence.
He pleaded guilty on the firearm charge, but denied attempting to murder Ncube.
Taking the witness stand, Ncube said, “Your worship, this man is using juju on me as I saw him tying some notches and I am sure he wants to weaken my testimony. He approached me and my wife at night saying he wanted his wife and child. I told him it was late to discuss that but he forcibly entered my homestead.
“We then tried reprimanding him but he opened fire and tried shooting me though he missed,” said Ncube.
In his defence, Chiruvigwa said his wife called begging him to come and collect his child as Ncube had turned violent.
“Prudence Mashena called me the day before this incident saying Ncube had turned violent towards my two-year-old child. I then went to the homestead and asked for my child back and Ncube ganged up on me with two other men.
“I did not shoot him and I am only guilty of possessing the pistol without proper licence.”
The trial continues today.
The State’s case led by Tinashe Dzipe is that on January 17, Chiruvigwa went to the complainant’s homestead armed with a Star pistol with five rounds of ammunition.
The firearm belonged to the accused’s employer.
He is alleged to have taken it on the pretext of doing patrol duty within the mine premises.
On arrival at the complainant’s place of residence, the accused demanded to see his former wife who was at the homestead and fired at the complainant.
Online Reporter