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Codelia Mondela, Court Reporter
VILLAGERS from Madlambuzi in Matabeleland South allegedly tracked a rustler for about 10 kilometres and found him herding 22 stolen cattle in the dead of the night.
Libion Mhlanga (36) allegedly attacked the villagers with a stick but they overpowered and subdued him.
Mhlanga appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Ms Adelaide Mbeure facing stock theft charges.
He sobbed in court and when asked what was wrong, he said he was not crying but it was his eyes that were sore.
Ms Mbeure granted him $200 bail and remanded the matter to June 12 for trial at the Plumtree Magistrate’s Court.
For the State, Mr Maclean Ndlovu said police arrested Mhlanga on Wednesday last week after villagers saw him driving the cattle at night.
“The villagers followed him from Bambadzi area and intercepted him at Mbimba area which is approximately 10km tracking distance. Mhlanga started assaulting the villagers with his stick. However, he was overpowered as he was alone against the gang of trackers and villagers,” the prosecutor said.
Meanwhile, two Zimbabwean men based in South-Africa also appeared in court before the same magistrate after they were found in possession of an unlicensed loaded fire arm.
Police on patrol arrested Clement Panganai (38) who resides in Polokwane and Everson Shoko (39) residing in Johannesburg last Tuesday night in the Bulawayo city centre.
They pleaded guilty to possession of a fire arm or ammunition without holding a firearm certificate. The magistrate remanded them in custody to yesterday for sentencing.
Mr Ndlovu said at around 10PM on Tuesday, the two were walking along Fort Street between Third and Fourth Avenue when police officers became suspicious, stopped and searched them.
“Police recovered a nine millimetre star pistol, which had its serial number erased. The pistol was loaded with a magazine of five rounds wrapped in a black woollen hat mask from a small sling bag carried by Panganai,” said Mr Ndlovu.
@MondelaC
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