Online Reporter
Dalyn Chigwizura
A 42-YEAR-OLD Bulawayo man erupted into verbal violence, threatening to “hurt” a magistrate for slapping him with a sentence that he deemed unfavourable.
Bulawayo Magistrate Bethel Negato sentenced Xolani Ndlovu of Emganwini suburb to two months in prison for threatening to harm Plumtree Magistrate Joshua Nembaware after expressing dissatisfaction with a three-year sentence handed down to him in 2024.
The court heard that on April 18, 2026 at around 5 PM at Caravan Shops in Cowdray Park, Ndlovu approached Nembaware and demanded to know why he had sentenced him to imprisonment, saying he was unhappy with how the case had been handled.
Prosecuting, Audrey Kufandikanwe told the court that sometime in October 2024, Magistrate Nembaware convicted Ndlovu of unlawful entry at the Plumtree Magistrates Court.
Ndlovu was sentenced to 36 months in prison, of which six months were suspended for five years, while another six months were suspended on condition that the accused restituted the complainant.
The effective prison term that Nembaware handed down was 24 months.
Ndlovu told Nembabware during the confrontation that, “Ngizakulimaza, nxa ngingakulimazanga ngizakuthumela abantu bekulimaze,” meaning, “I will hurt you, and if I don’t, I will send people to hurt you,” said Kufandikanwe.
A police report was made, leading to the arrest of the accused person, she added.
Ndlovu, who pleaded not guilty to threatening the magistrate, was sentenced to two months in prison, of which one month was suspended for five years. The effective sentence is one month imprisonment.
