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Tsenulo Moyo
A 50-YEAR-OLD woman from Old Pumula suburb in Bulawayo, employed as a vendor, was arrested for assaulting a fellow vendor in an apparent dispute over customers.
The incident happened in a toilet at Zandisa Sports Bar, located at Pumula Shopping Centre.
This was heard when Bekezela Ngwenya appeared before Western Commonage magistrate Learnear Khumalo charged with assault.
She pleaded guilty to the offence.
Ngwenya was sentenced to nine months’ imprisonment of which three months were suspended on condition that she does not commit any offence involving violence within a period of five years.
A further six months were suspended on condition that she completes 210 hours of community service at Malindela Primary School.
In her defence, Ngwenya said the victim had verbally assaulted her and that is why she decided to assault her.
Ngwenya added that the accused and other vendors were refusing to clean the space where they were operating from, and she was the one cleaning it every day. She claimed to have kept quiet about the issue.
In mitigation, she pleaded with the court to spare her a jail sentence, saying that she was a breadwinner taking care of her child and great-grandmother.
The complainant, Martha Mpofu, said Ngwenya beat her with fists on the eye and spat on her face five times.
“I wish that she is given life imprisonment for what she did to me,” Mpofu said.
She further said Ngwenya’s friends have been following her around and threatening her, telling her to drop the charges laid against Ngwenya.
Mpofu added that her fight with Ngwenya stemmed from their competition to attract more customers.
The court heard that on 18 October 2024 at around 9pm both Ngwenya and Mpofu, who are vendors, met in a toilet at Zandisa Sports Bar.
Ngwenya then spat saliva on Mpofu’s face five times without saying anything and hit her once on the face.
Mpofu is said to have sustained a swollen right eye due to the incident. The matter was reported to the police leading to the arrest of Ngwenya.
Online Reporter