Online Reporter
Dalyn Chigwizura
[email protected]
A 28-YEAR-OLD man from Matobo District has been sentenced to five years in prison after he and four accomplices took the law into their own hands and fatally assaulted a suspected chicken thief.
Siphiwo Sikhosana of Lahlumkonto Village under Chief Masuku in Ntunjambili was convicted of culpable homicide by Bulawayo High Court Justice Ngoni Nduna.
Sikhosana had initially been charged with murder but was acquitted of that charge after the court found that the State had failed to prove the offence beyond reasonable doubt. However, the court found him guilty of culpable homicide.
The court heard that the fatal assault stemmed from the theft of a chicken belonging to a local villager.
Prosecuting, Mr Kudakwashe Jaravaza said on May 5 last year, at about 9AM, the now deceased, Freddy Nkomo (22) and his companion, Mvelo Ncube, went to Sihumbe Mine Compound where they allegedly stole a cock belonging to Mr Julius Dube.
The pair allegedly slaughtered the chicken and ate it.
Two days later, at around 2 AM, Sikhosana and four accomplices identified only as Dawu, Teaspoon, Bheki and Bhoyi, who are still at large, tracked down Nkomo and Ncube at a gold-panning site after discovering their involvement in the theft.
“The accused person and his accomplices found the deceased and Mvelo Ncube and forcibly took them to Sihumbe Compound, where they tied them with ropes and ordered them to lie face down on the ground,” said Mr Jaravaza.
The court heard that the group then took turns assaulting the two men using sjamboks and wooden logs.
“The accused person and his accomplices repeatedly assaulted the deceased and Mvelo on the back, thighs and other parts of the body using sjamboks and logs,” said the prosecutor.
Mr Dube later intervened and stopped the assault.
After the attack, Sikhosana and his accomplices moved the two victims to a fireplace area before leaving them there.
The court heard that Mr Dube later provided them with blankets and shelter using a plastic tent mounted at the compound.
The following morning, Ncube noticed that Nkomo’s condition had deteriorated significantly.
He was reportedly complaining of severe pain in his private parts and was unable to recover from the injuries sustained during the assault.
Ncube alerted Mr Dube’s wife, who went to check on Nkomo and discovered that he was no longer showing signs of life.
A report was subsequently made to the police, leading to investigations and Sikhosana’s arrest. Police attended the scene and took Nkomo’s body to the United Bulawayo Hospitals mortuary for a post-mortem examination.
