Gibson Mhaka
THE bond between workmates, forged in shared labour and long hours, should be a sturdy bridge, however, that was not the case for Nigel Dube (19) and Hlelo Ncube (18) both employed at Watershed farm in Plumtree, who fought over stray donkeys.
Nigel allegedly struck Hlelo with a piece of brick on the back of his head and his left ear, then assaulted him on the forehead with a fist and choked him, causing Hlelo to lose consciousness, all as punishment for failing to stop the donkeys from passing through the homestead.

This was heard when Nigel appeared before Plumtree magistrate Joshua Nembaware charged with attempted murder.
He was not asked to plead and was remanded in custody to 24 March.
The court heard that on 16 March 2024, at approximately 9AM, the accused and the complainant had a misunderstanding regarding why the complainant failed to stop some donkeys from passing the homestead.
In a fit of rage, the accused began kicking the complainant on the right heel.
When the complainant pushed him away, the accused took a piece of brick and assaulted him once on the back of the head and once on the left ear.
The accused continued to follow the complainant, assaulting him on the forehead with a fist and choking him, causing the complainant to lose consciousness.
The accused was restrained from further assaulting the complainant by Regain Ncube. The matter was reported to the police, leading to the accused’s arrest.
The complainant was referred to Plumtree District Hospital for a medical examination and the results are expected to be produced in court as evidence.



