Online Reporter
Danisa Masuku [email protected]
A 33-YEAR-OLD Tsholotsho man has been sentenced to an effective five years in prison for stabbing a police officer in the abdomen during an attempt to evade arrest and later violently resisting police officers who tracked him to his home.
Mayibongwe Ncube of Mqolweni Line in Sipepa, Tsholotsho, was convicted of attempted murder and resisting arrest by Bulawayo regional magistrate Ms Sibonginkosi Mkandla.
He was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment for attempted murder, with one year suspended for five years on condition that he does not commit a similar offence during that period.
In passing sentence, Ms Mkandla described Ncube as a violent offender who showed blatant disregard for the law and law enforcement officers.
“You resisted arrest while police officers were conducting their investigations and stabbed one of the police officers who had come to apprehend you. You are a dangerous criminal who disregards the law, let alone law enforcement agents. You will be jailed to deter like-minded people,” she said.
In aggravation, prosecutor Ms Tsungai Charmaine Mutapi told the court that the investigating officer narrowly escaped death after being stabbed in the abdomen.
“The police officer sustained a serious wound after he was stabbed by the offender. His unbecoming behaviour will influence other community members to disrespect police officers. He also assaulted a police officer while resisting arrest. The State prays for a custodial sentence to send a clear message to would-be offenders,” she said.
The complainant is Constable Edgar Charuma (35) of Sipepa Police Station.
The court heard that on May 23, Constable Charuma and a colleague only identified as Constable Mhuri went to Kapane Business Centre, where they found Ncube armed with a knobkerrie and an axe.
“They confronted the offender and tried to apprehend him, but he lashed out at them and fled. The complainant and his colleague boarded a vehicle intending to proceed back to their workstation, but after driving for a few minutes from the scene, they were blocked by the offender and his three friends,” said Ms Mutapi.
Ncube assaulted Constable Charuma before stabbing him once in the abdomen with an Okapi knife.
The following day, at about 2AM, police officers from Sipepa Police Station went to Ncube’s homestead at Mqolweni Line to arrest him over the attempted murder.
“Upon arrival at the accused’s homestead, they knocked on his bedroom hut door and identified themselves as police officers,” said Ms Mutapi.
The court heard that Ncube refused to open the door, forcing officers to break it open. A struggle ensued inside the hut as he violently resisted arrest and attempted to overpower the officers before he was eventually subdued and arrested.
