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Gibson Mhaka
IT is equally disheartening to see someone claiming to be a man of religious authority hauled into a court of law like a chicken thief, facing an embarrassing charge of robbing someone at knifepoint, of their cell phone.
That was at play when a popular self-proclaimed prophet from Masendu Village under Chief Masendu in Madlambuzi, Plumtree, Matabeleland South Province, was jailed for abusing his position of trust and authority for personal gain.
Mpindeni Ncube (44) was sentenced to an effective jail term of six months, by Plumtree resident magistrate, Joshua Nembaware, for robbing someone of his cell phone, worth US$50, at knifepoint.
Ncube, who pleaded guilty to the charge of robbery, was initially sentenced to 12 months imprisonment, of which six months were suspended for a period of five years on condition that he does not commit any offence of which violence on the person or another is an element for which, upon conviction, he is sentenced to imprisonment without the option of a fine.
Asked why he committed the offence, Ncube shocked the court with his explanation. He claimed he was returning from praying for someone in Botswana but was not paid for his services.
Without enough money for transportation back home, he robbed the victim, believing them to have cash. However, he only found a cellphone.
The state’s case, as presented by prosecutor Selestine Madziwa, was that on 27 September 2024 at around 7pm, the complainant, Siyabulela Mabhena, was walking home from Ndiweni Business Centre when he met the accused, who was armed with an okapi knife.
The accused then grabbed the complainant by the back and pointed an okapi knife at his throat.
Ncube then demanded a cell phone, threatening to kill the complainant if he failed to hand it over. The accused forcibly took the Samsung Grand Prime cell phone, valued at US$50.
He then ordered the complainant to go back where he was coming from, to which he complied.
The complainant returned to Ndiweni Business Centre and informed the patrons, who then tracked down the accused person.
The patrons managed to apprehend the accused in the Mzwanyana area and recovered the phone and okapi knife from his pair of trouser pockets.
Ncube was taken to the police where a charge of robbery was filed against him.
Online Reporter