Chronicle Editor
Gwanda Correspondent
A BULAWAYO based prison officer has been ordered to pay a $10 000 fine after he ran over and killed a 79-year-old man from Gwanda.
Bekithemba Ndlovu (41) of Khami Prison Complex was convicted on his own plea of guilty to culpable homicide and driving without a license by Gwanda magistrate, Miss Lerato Nyathi.
He was ordered to pay a $10 000 fine or spend 60 days in prison in case of default.
He was ordered to have paid the money by June 15.
In addition, he was banned from driving a vehicle for the next nine months.
Prosecuting, Ms Zanele Sithole said Ndlovu, who was driving without a license, knocked down Mtshiwa Nyathi who was walking by the roadside near Garanyemba area along the Gwanda-Guyu Road.
“On 2 September 2020 at around 8PM the accused person was driving a Honda Fit vehicle along Gwanda-Guyu Road headed towards Guyu with one passenger on board. Upon reaching the 21-kilometre peg, Ndlovu failed to control his vehicle and knocked down Mtshiwa Nyathi who was walking by the roadside.
“Nyathi sustained head injuries and was ferried to Gwanda Provincial Hospital where he died on the following day at around 10AM as a result of the injuries sustained,” she said.
Miss Sithole said Ndlovu’s particulars of negligence were travelling at an excessive speed, failure to stop or act reasonably when the accident seemed imminent and failure to keep a proper look out.
In his mitigation Ndlovu said he was remorseful about his actions as they had resulted in the loss of life.
Online Reporter