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Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Gwanda Correspondent
THREE men have been arrested for allegedly stealing nine cattle from a farm in Gwanda.
Mncedisi Siziba (45), Cosmas Siziba (40) both from Makwe Village in Gwanda and Mgcini Ndlovu (42) from Silozi Village in Kezi were not asked to plead when they appeared before Gwanda magistrate, Miss Lerato Nyathi, facing a stocktheft charge.
They were remanded in custody to September 16 for trial.
Prosecuting, Mr Silent Shoko said the accused persons, who were in the company of two others who are still at large, went to Mr John Hunt’s place at Georgia Farm and stole the beasts. He said Mr Hunt’s workers managed to trace the cattle to the accused persons.
‘‘On 13 May at around 7AM at John Hunt’s place in Georgia Farm, some workers at the plot noticed that nine cattle were missing. They noticed some footprints of the people who had taken the animals as well as the spoores of the missing cattle. They followed the animal tracks which led them to a plot in Kezi,” he said.
‘‘The workers found the three accused persons together with Mbekezeli Nyathi and Zibonele Ndlovu who are still at large in the possession of four of the missing cattle. Upon realising that they had been caught, the accused persons and their accomplices fled from the scene leaving behind their clothes, an axe, brand mark iron bar and a pot full of meat.’’
Mr Shoko said a police report was made and four of the nine cattle were recovered. He said on May 30, the police together with Mr Hunt’s workers went to the plot where they had recovered the stolen cattle and the workers positively identified Mncedisi Sibanda and Mgcini Ndlovu as part of the group of five men that was found in possession of the stolen cattle leading to their arrest. – @DubeMatutu
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