Three years in jail after “meat ration” fatal attack

Fairness Moyana in Hwange

A MAN from Lupane, who last year fatally assaulted his colleague with fists following a misunderstanding over meat ration given to them by their employer to share will serve an effective three years in prison.

Sebatha Ndebele of Siyatshaya village in Lupane who was then aged 24 when he committed the crime last year, had a misunderstanding with Harold Ncube, an artisanal miner who was 47 at the time of his death over meat ration that they had been given to share by their employer.

Ndebele, however, refused to share the meat equally insisting that he was entitled to what he had in his possession resulting in Ncuber demanding a fair share. Ncube’s persistence did not go down well with Ndebele who got angry and punched him on the chest before kicking him all over the body. Ncube later died of the injuries he had sustained from the assault.

Ndebele was sentenced to five years imprisonment when he was convicted of a lesser charge of culpable homicide after pleading not guilty to murder when he appeared before Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Maxwell Takuva sitting at Hwange High Court Circuit last week.

Passing sentence, Justice Takuva bemoaned continued loss of life over trivial issues arguing that the courts treated culpable homicide cases arising from violence seriously and would pass deterrent and retributive sentences.

According to statement of agreed facts between the State and defence led by Mrs Charlene Gorerino and Ms Joylyn Change of Muvhiringi and Associates respectively on 18 June 2017, Ndebele and Ncube were drinking beer at Nare’s plot when a misunderstanding ensued.

Ncube was accusing Ndebele of having an unfair share of the meat they had been given by their employer. Ncube continued shouting at him demanding his share while Ndebele refused to budge insisting that the meat had been shared equally.

Ndebele became angry at Ncube’s persistence and assaulted him with fists on the chest before he fell to the ground.

He continued to kick him with booted feet all over the body while Ncube was lying on the ground. Ndebele’s wife, Ms Christine Moyo who was present during the altercation called Mr Mthulisi Ndebele who then refrained him from further assaulting Ncube.

The following day Ndebele hired a scotch cart to ferry Ncube to hospital before he was transferred to Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo. However, on 7 July 2017 Ncube succumbed to his injuries sustained during the assault.