adminSukulwenkosi Dube Plumtree Correspondent
A MAN from Mangwe who ripped his neighbour’s stomach open with a knife for denying him beer has been slapped with a three year jail sentence.
Kiliboni Sijumba Ngwenya, 32, of Makuzeze area, slit open 27-year-old Mbulalisi Nyathi’s stomach with a knife leaving his intestines protruding after he found him drinking beer with other villagers.
Ngwenya was convicted on his own plea of guilty to assault charges when he appeared before Plumtree magistrate, Livard Philemon. He was sentenced to 36 months imprisonment of which six months were suspended for five years on condition that he does not within the period commit an offence of the same nature.
Ngwenya told the court that he got angry after Nyathi denied him access to beer.
“It wasn’t my intention to harm anyone but Nyathi angered me as he was the one who didn’t want me to drink beer out of a group of many villagers. He also provoked me as he pulled out a knife first then I pulled out mine. I didn’t think that I would hurt him badly as he was wearing a heavy jacket,” said Ngwenya.
Prosecuting, Clemence Shawarira said on December 14 Ngwenya found Nyathi who was in the company of his friends, drinking beer at a homestead.
He said there were also several other villagers who were drinking beer.
The beer drink was a traditional after-party which comes after villagers assist a fellow villager to plough his fields.
Shawarira said Ngwenya proceeded to Nyathi’s group and requested to drink with them but the complainant refused and ordered Ngwenya to leave.
He said Nyathi and his colleagues chased Ngwenya away after pointing out that he had not contributed any labour in ploughing the fields.
Shawarira said Ngwenya refused to leave saying he also wanted to have access to the free beer just like the other villagers. He went on to threaten to “discipline” the complainant and his friends if they denied him access to the beer.
Shawarira said a misunderstanding ensued which later degenerated into a fight pitting Ngwenya against the complainant and his friends.
Ngwenya then produced a knife and stabbed Nyathi twice on the stomach.
Shawarira said Nyathi was left with his intestines out. Ngwenya fled from the homestead.
He said some villagers gave chase and caught up with him a few metres from the homestead.
Shawarira said the villagers then took Ngwenya to the nearby police station.
The complainant was referred to Plumtree District Hospital where he was treated.
Bongani Moyo
Online Reporter