Lynnia Ndlovu Sunday News Reporter
MATSHETSHENI villagers under Chief Marupi in Gwanda district who mobbed, attacked and destroyed three homesteads belonging to people they suspected to be stealing their cattle successfully filed an appeal against a bail condition to report to police stations citing old age. They made their application before Gwanda magistrate, Miss Nomagugu Ncube through their defence lawyer Mr Thompson Mabhikwa of TJ Mabhikwa and Partners on Thursday last week.
Mr Mabhikwa stated that his clients were very old as they range in ages of 84, 82, 74 and 71 so to them going to police stations on a daily basis was difficult as they stay far away from the town so there would be need for them to board buses which require finances. Magistrate Ncube granted the application and said that they would not report to stations anymore.
“Your application has been heard and you will no longer report to police stations as you were ordered before,” said Miss Ncube. Meanwhile, four other Matshetsheni villagers were brought to court facing the same charge of public violence adding to the number of previously arrested villagers. The other 10 had previously appeared on 3 June for initial remand.
All the 14 suspects were remanded out of custody to 26 July where their trial will be starting.
Allegations are that on 1 June this year, the accused people acting in consent and with others who are still at large organised themselves and hatched a plan to destroy some homesteads at Insindi resettlement and expel the owners accusing them of stealing their cattle.
The court heard that they armed themselves with an assortment of weapons and they proceeded to the resettlement at around 1100hours. They arrived at Lovemore Moyo’s homestead and forcibly set fire on a two-roomed house and a thatched kitchen hut where property worth $4 161 was destroyed.
They ordered Precious Noko who is Moyo’s wife to completely vacate from the area as her husband was the one stealing their cattle. They ordered Noko to accompany them to Sylvester Hogo’s homestead where upon arrival they destroyed houses and property worthy $1 100.
They then proceeded to Marble Ndlovu’s homestead which is next to Hogo’s and burnt down houses and property worth $6 772 was also destroyed.