adminAuxilia Katongomara Chronicle Reporter
A MINER has been arrested for scalding a colleague with nitric acid causing serious facial burns that left the victim hospitalised. Bekithemba Nkomo, 37, of Eclipse Mine in Shangani, appeared before Bulawayo provincial magistrate Tinashe Tashaya facing a charge of negligence resulting in bodily harm.
Tashaya did not ask Nkomo to plead and remanded him out of custody to April 28.
Dennmore Kasenza, for the State, told the court that on April 14 at around 5PM at Majaha homestead in Shangani, Nkomo was in a room processing gold ore with nitric acid while Moyo was standing outside demanding payment for a $10 debt from Nkomo.
“After Nkomo finished processing the gold, he threw away the acid accidentally scalding Moyo,” said Kasenza.
The prosecutor told the court that the spillage was accidental as the two had not been involved in an altercation.
Moyo was rushed to Shangani Rural District Hospital and police were called.
Initially, Moyo’s relatives had told prosecutors at set-down that Nkomo scalded Moyo with acid after he demanded his money, but later changed the statement.
derick.khumalo