adminSukulwenkosi Dube Plumtree Correspondent
A MANGWE man cut the testicles of his uncle’s goat and feasted on them in protest over a R700 debt. Pius Nyathi, 25, of Tjingababili village in Mphoengs invaded Jerry Moyo’s kraal at night armed with a knife. He cut off the testicles of a goat and proceeded to his homestead where he cooked the meat and ate it, in a strange, and painful debt collection technique that nearly got him jailed.
Nyathi was convicted by Plumtree magistrate, Livard Philemon for malicious damage to property. Philemon sentenced Nyathi to nine months imprisonment of which six months were suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour. The remaining three months were suspended on condition that Nyathi performs 105 hours of community service at Tjingababili Primary School.
In passing sentence Philemon lashed out at Nyathi’s behaviour which he described as stupid.
“Do you mean to say that the testicles which you cut off from the goat are equal to the money which the complainant owes you? After injuring the animal do you feel that you are now even with him? There is no reasonable explanation to justify your stupid actions,” he said.
Nyathi pleaded with the court for leniency arguing that he had four children.
“Please, understand that this man had wronged me in the first place and I was simply retaliating. I have four children who look up to me. If I go to prison then they will struggle,” he said.
Nyathi said his uncle who lives in South Africa owes him R700 that he is refusing to repay.
“My uncle has failed to pay back my money for more than a year. He was building his homestead and hired me to deliver seven loads of quarry. He promised to pay me for my services.
I have tried to recover this money several times without luck. At one time I approached him at his homestead but he chased me away with a spear. I even reported the incident to the police but nothing was done to him,” said Nyathi.
He said his uncle was a wealthy man but was refusing to pay him his money. Nyathi said he cut the testicles of the goat to hit back at his uncle for failing to pay him.
Prosecuting, Clemence Shawarira said on April 16 around 8PM, Nyathi proceeded to the complainant’s goat pen. He cut the testicles of one of the goats with a knife and took them to his homestead where he cooked and ate them.
“On the following morning the complainant’s sister, Anna Moyo discovered that a goat had been cut and informed her brother in South Africa about the incident.
“Nyathi’s grandfather who saw him cook the testicles notified Moyo and the matter was reported to the police,” said Shawarira.
He said the value of the goat is $30.
Bongani Moyo
Online Reporter