Online Reporter
Lovemore Kadzura
Mutare Bureau
THE two security guards at the Green Fuel Estate in Chisumbanje who were caught on camera while taking turns to assault four students, including two girls, have escaped jail after being convicted of assault on their own plea.
Instead, they will perform 280 hours of community service at a school in Chisumbanje.
The security guards — Makina Ngwenya (38) and Munorwei Komondeya (32) — accused the students of allegedly stealing sugar cane from the local fields.
Chipinge magistrate, Nixon Mangoti, sentenced them to 12 months in jail, four of which were suspended on condition of good behaviour.
The remaining eight months were wholly suspended on condition that they each perform 280 hours of community service at a local school.
The guards were filmed meting out the punishment, which has sparked widespread outrage from the public, after the video went viral.
Prosecutor Edmore Mahlanganise said the guards ordered the students to lie down, with their faces facing the ground, and lashed the students 11 times on their backsides.
“On an unknown date in April 2025 at around 3pm, the accused persons were on duty guarding sugarcane at Block E09.
“The two spotted the complainants, who were coming from school, eating sugar cane.
“They asked them to explain where they had found the sugarcane and they confirmed having stolen the sugar cane from the fields.
“The accused persons ordered the complainants to lie facing down and Komondeya started assaulting each learner five times with a stick on the buttocks.
“Ngwenya took over and also assaulted them six times each on the buttocks with a sjambok.
“He went on to slap each (student) once on their face with an open hand and then freed them.
“The complainants were not medically examined,” said Mahlanganise.
Bongani Ndlovu
Mathew Masinge