adminSukulwenkosi Dube Plumtree Correspondent
TWO Bulilima men were stripped naked and paraded in public by villagers as punishment for assaulting a fellow villager.
Obvious Ncube, 34, and Shalen Dumani, 23, who appeared to be in pain, said villagers first removed their clothes and left them in their underwear.
Both men, who are from Zuzaphi area under Chief Masendu, said they were severely beaten and force-marched stark naked around the village under instruction to apologise for being troublesome.
The two men appeared on initial remand before Plumtree magistrate Gideon Ruvetsa facing charges of assaulting Never Sibanda.
They were remanded in custody to June 23 as Sibanda is still admitted at the United Bulawayo Hospitals.
When magistrate Ruvetsa asked them if they had any complaints against the police, they said some villagers had paraded them naked.
“I don’t have any complaints against the police Your Worship, but I was assaulted by villagers. I’m in great pain because they stripped me naked and left me in my underwear before beating me up. They then took us around the village naked before they handed us over to the police. As you can see my legs and head are bandaged because of what villagers did to me,” said Ncube.
Dumani said he sustained head and face injuries as a result of the assault.
Ruvetsa advised the two men to report the matter to the police if they knew the villagers who assaulted them.
Prosecuting, Elisha Mazorodze said Dumani and Ncube assaulted Sibanda on June 5 around 8PM after they found him drinking beer with some Shona speaking people at Zuzaphi Business Centre.
They approached him and demanded to know why he was seated with Shona speaking people.
Mazorodze said Sibanda told the two men to mind their own business.
“Dumani and Ncube started throwing empty beer bottles around the bottle store and they were reprimanded by the owner of the bottle store. In a bid to avoid further confrontation the complainant left the bottle store to collect his bicycle,” said Mazorodze.
He said Dumani and Ncube later ambushed Sibanda on his way home and struck him several times with a log on the head and body.
He said Sibanda sustained a fractured arm and other severe injuries.
Mazorodze said Dumani and Ncube fled from the scene after committing the crime but were later apprehended by villagers who surrendered them to the police.
Online Reporter