Chronicle Editor
Mashudu Netsianda, Senior Court Reporter
THREE siblings from Fort Rixon in Insiza district in Matabeleland South province who allegedly ganged up with another villager and attacked their neighbour to death over a $3 debt appeared in court yesterday.
Davison (45), Denious (33) and Dacious Banda (31) teamed up with Marvelous Dube (34) and attacked Edson Hlupho (40) using knobkerries, knives and stones over the $3 debt owed to Denious.
The accused persons all from Mpopoti village under Chief Jahana appeared before Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Maxwell Takuva facing murder charges in connection with the death of Hlupho in December 2018.
Hlupho’s widow, Ms Sinothando Bhebhe yesterday took to the witnesses stand and narrated how her husband was brutally assaulted by the accused persons as she watched helplessly from a distance.
“When the accused persons came to our home, they were armed with machetes, catapults, a knife and knobkerrie.
“They demanded $3 which my husband owed them and he tried to negotiate with them so that they give him time to raise the money, but they kept menacingly advancing towards him wielding their weapons,” she said.
“Sensing danger, my husband tried to flee to the village head’s homestead with the accused persons hot in pursuit as they threw stones at him.
“He tried to seek refuge at the village head’s homestead, but the village head’s wife who was cooking outside ran to her bedroom and closed the door leaving my husband at the mercy of the accused persons.”
Ms Bhebhe said Denious picked a hoe handle and struck the deceased on the head before Davison stabbed him on the left side of the chest with a knife.
“He collapsed and became unconscious before later regaining consciousness. He walked for a few metres and sat under a tree. Dacious and Dube picked stones and struck him on the head and he fell down and they fled. When I got closer, he was lying dead in a pool of blood with several stab wounds,” she said.
Prosecuting, Mrs Sifiso Ndlovu-Sibanda said on December 26, 2018 at about 2.30PM, the four accused persons went to the deceased’s homestead and found him seated under a tree with his wife.
Dacious approached Hlupho while the other three accused persons remained behind in a bushy area near the deceased’s home.
“Dacious confronted Hlupho and demanded his $3, which the deceased owed him. The deceased indicated to him that he didn’t have the money and promised to pay on a later date,” said Mrs Ndlovu-Sibanda.
The court heard that Dacious left the deceased’s homestead and returned to where he had left his co-accused persons and informed them about Hlupho’s position.
“The four men ganged up and went to Hlupho’s homestead armed with knives, stones and a hoe handle. Upon arrival at the deceased’s homestead, they demanded back $3 which Hlupho had borrowed from Dacious in September but he indicated that he didn’t have the money,” said Mrs Ndlovu-Sibanda.
Hlupho, sensing danger, tried to flee to a neighbour’s homestead but they caught up with him and assaulted him. The four men stabbed him several times and attacked him with stones and left him lying on the ground. After committing the alleged offence, the quartet fled.
Hlupho was found lying dead a few minutes later by a passer-by who alerted police. He had injuries on the head and all over the body.
According to the post mortem report the cause of death is left chest stab wound, heart haemopneumothorax and assault.
A report was made to the police leading to the arrest of the four men.
The trial continues today.-@mashnets
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter