adminSenior Court Reporter
FOUR cattle rustlers who were found by detectives skinning stolen beasts in their bedroom at a house in Bulawayo’s Queens Park East suburb were yesterday each slapped with an effective 18 years in jail. The four men, Frank Nyamapfeka (30), Lawrence Zenzo Mkandla (29), Rodgers Banda (36) and Kenneth Matanhire Moyo (63) sneaked into two farms in Ntabazinduna, the court was told.
They drove a total of five beasts to the bush where they slaughtered them before ferrying the carcasses to their house in Bulawayo for skinning.
The quartet however, ran out of luck when detectives acting on a tip-off, descended on them while they were in the process of skinning the stolen beasts.
In passing sentence, Bulawayo magistrate Mr Tawanda Muchemwa said the four men deserved harsh punishment.
“Cattle rustling activities have of late become prevalent and the court therefore sees it fit to impose a harsh sentence so that like-minded people are deterred,” said Mr Muchemwa.
Prosecuting, Mr Masimba Saruwaka, narrated how on 26 June at night, the quartet sneaked into a farm in Umguza District and found 30 cattle grazing in the field.
They drove two cows to a nearby bush where they tied them to a tree inside a makeshift kraal before slaughtering them using an axe.
They again went to another farm in the same area during the same night and stole three beasts, which they also took to the same place and slaughtered.
Mr Saruwaka said the four men then transported the carcasses to a house in Queens Park East in a vehicle mounted with fake registration numbers.
They took the carcasses to one of the bedrooms and started skinning them, the court heard.
Acting on a tip-off, police descended on the four men and raided their house recovering the carcasses of the stolen beasts all valued at $1 500.
Online Reporter