Chronicle Editor
Thupeyo Muleya, Beitbridge Bureau
A 35-YEAR-OLD man from Kayansee Resettlement area some 120 km northeast of Beitbridge town who was in the habit of setting snares to steal cattle from his neighbours has been jailed for an effective 9 years.
Tinashe Ngwenya of Village 2 in Kayansee denied the charges of stealing one ox and a cow at Bubani Farm worth $18 000, but Beitbridge Resident Magistrate Mr. Toyindepi Zhou convicted him on the strength of the State’s evidence.
Prosecuting, Mr. Ronald Mugwagwa said on February 3, this year, at around 8 AM, the accused went to Bubani Farm belonging to one Eric Ndou where he set some snares.
He drove the complainant’s cattle towards the snares and he managed to trap two beasts.
He then removed one cow and slaughtered an ox and went away with the meat.
The court heard that on February 18, Ngwenya went to the same farm and used the same method to catch more cattle.
As a result, he caught one cow whose owner is unknown and he slaughtered it.
He then went away and gave the meat to his sister to sell around the villages.
Ngwenya ran out of luck after the complainant quizzed his sister about the origins of the meat she was selling.
She implicated him leading to his arrested.
Following his arrest, Ngwenya man took the police to the crime scene where a bell and a belt were recovered hidden underground.
The police also discovered the two places where the cattle had been killed and there were still remains of the carcass.
The prosecutor said meat valued at R6 000 was recovered from Ngwenya. – @tupeyo
Online Reporter