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Sukulwenkosi Dube Plumtree Correspondent
A MANGWE man who trapped his neighbour’s cow using a snare, killed it and sold the beef as game meat to villagers has been slapped with an effective nine year jail sentence.
Nduna Sibanda, 44, told the court that he slaughtered the beast in a bid to fend for his family of seven children. Sibanda of Guqukani Village in Mphoengs area set a snare in a grazing area which is close to his homestead.
He caught a beast valued at $500, slaughtered it before packaging the meat and sold it as game meat to unsuspecting villagers. The court heard that Sibanda also kept some of the meat for his relish.
Prosecuting, Clemence Shawarira said Sibanda trapped the beast on October 29.
‘’Sibanda set a snare close to a drinking pool in a grazing area. He caught a grey beast belonging to Vivian Dube and secretly slaughtered the beast and dried the meat,’’ said Shawarira.
He said Sibanda sold the meat from his homestead and told his neighbours that it was game meat. The court heard that the complainant, Dube, informed her neighbours about her missing beast and later learnt that Sibanda was selling meat.
She also discovered the remains of her beast near the drinking pool and suspected that it had been slaughtered by her neighbour.
Sibanda later admitted to slaughtering the beast after being questioned by villagers.
He appeared before Plumtree magistrate, Livard Philemon facing a stock theft charge.
“Your worship I was trying to make ends meet that’s why I slaughtered the beast. I was desperate because my family didn’t have any food. I took the meat for my family’s consumption,” said Sibanda.
Philemon did not entertain his excuse and sentenced him to an effective nine years imprisonment.
Online Reporter