Vusumuzi Dube
Wilbrought Ndlovu, Sunday News Reporter
THREE Magwegwe North men were on Tuesday sentenced to four years in prison for attempted murder after they axed and stoned a man from Lobengula West following an altercation.
Mduduzi Ncube (22), Ian Ncube (23) and Mxolisi Dube (24) appeared at the Bulawayo regional court before magistrate Mrs Dambuzo Malunga facing charges of attempted murder as defined in Section 189 ARW Section 47 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Chapter 9:23.
According to the prosecutor, Ms Constance Mathaba on 10 July 2023 around 6pm, Mandlenkosi Sibanda (27) who is the complainant was travelling in a commuter omnibus with his friends along an unnamed road in Lobengula West where one of his friend Dalubuhle Mpofu resides.
Along their way they found the three accused persons blocking the road while drinking beer.
Sibanda and his friends tried to reason with the accused persons to move out of the road for them to be able to pass but the accused persons ignored them and instead turned violent.
The complainant then managed to find his way through and proceeded to his friend place of residence.
The three accused persons however followed them armed with stones and small axes and upon their arrival, they hit the complainant with stones several times all over his body.
One of the accused went on to hit him with a small axe on the forehead then the other accused person picked a garden folk that was inside the yard and took turns in hitting the complainant all over his body resulting to the complainant sustaining a serious head injury.
He was referred to Mpilo Hospital for treatment. The matter was reported at ZRP Magwegwe leading to the arrest of the accused persons.
In her judgement, Mrs Malunga sentenced the three accused persons to four years in prison with two years being suspended, meaning they will serve an effective two years in prison.
derick.khumalo
Online Reporter