adminSenior Court Reporter
A 51-YEAR-OLD Bulawayo man claiming to have been possessed by evil spirits went on a rampage and destroyed 14 railway signal lights worth $28,000. Nhlanhla Donga of Tshabalala pleaded guilty to charges of malicious damage to property when he appeared before magistrate Charity Maphosa. Donga blamed the “evil spirits” for his actions. He was remanded to October 9, pending mental examination by two doctors.
Prosecuting, Kudakwashe Jaravaza said on August 14, shortly after 1AM, a National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) security guard was on night duty on the platforms at the railway station when he spotted Donga damaging signal lights between platforms 1 and 2.
He confronted Donga who was armed with an iron bar and the two men wrestled. Donga struck the security guard with the iron bar on the left side of his hip and the guard had to scream for help.
“While Donga and the security guard were wrestling, he struck him with an iron bar and tried to flee the scene,” said Jaravaza.
The security guard’s colleagues came to his rescue and apprehended Donga and took him to Bulawayo Central Police Station.
Online Reporter