The Sunday News
Mncedisi Buhali Sunday News Reporter
A 19-year-old Form Four pupil at Zimbabwe College in Bulawayo allegedly sent a grossly offensive, obscene and threatening WhatsApp message using his mother’s cellphone to his stepfather ordering him to divorce his mother.Charles Ncube of Sizinda allegedly harassed his stepfather, Mr Julius Ncube (45) of Pumula South who is a police officer, telling him that: “Ya it’s your enemy speaking Charlie ususithuke kwakwana nja from today onwards uhambe uvule amehlo. We now do not have peace and joy you sh.t; go have joy with your stupid rats abahamba bevulela wonke umuntu inyawo. I respected you so much but it’s time for me to fight the devil and I will fight you devil (You have insulted us enough you dog; open your eyes as you move because you are now dealing with me. I will finish you up because we now have no peace and joy, so go have joy with your stupid rats those who go around opening their legs to everyone. I respected you so much but it is time for me to fight you devil).”
Charles Ncube appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Mrs Sibongile Msipa-Marondedze on Wednesday and was charged for sending by cellphone abusive, offensive, threatening or indecent messages.
He was remanded out of custody to tomorrow.
Prosecuting, Mr Taurai Hondoyemoto told the court that sometime in December last year the accused’s mother who is the complainant’s wife was in Esigodini on her way to report for duty at Marist Brothers Secondary School in Dete.
The court heard that on 24 December last year at around 10.30pm, Mr Julius Ncube sent a WhatsApp message to his wife asking her when she will be back and she responded that she was still at home.
The following day Charles Ncube borrowed his mother’s phone and sent a WhatsApp message to his stepfather saying “so bahamba nini emzini yabo” (when are they going back to their home) but the complainant replied that the issue of the children should be solved in amicable ways, thinking that he was chatting to his wife who is the accused’s mother.
It was the State case that on 1 January 2015, the complainant received a threatening message from the accused person telling him that he has to watch out because he was going to kill him.
The court further heard that on the same day the complainant received another threatening WhatsApp message on his cellphone from the accused person saying, “Good as I am speaking now we are outside the car park boy, switch off your bedroom light, I will come for my mission, today we are on you.”
Mr Hondoyemoto said among the other messages sent by the accused that followed were: “If I want, I may enter your place now. You think we live in poverty like you, so I want to finish you up, but before I do that, can you divorce my mother now.”
Fearing for his life and as a result of constant threats the court heard that Julius Ncube reported the case to the police leading to the arrest of the Charles.
