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Sukulwenkosi Dube Plumtree Correspondent
A 31-YEAR-OLD Bulilima bicycle thief who was a victim of mob justice has told a Plumtree magistrate that community members who took the law into their own hands and assaulted him resulting in severe head injuries must be prosecuted. Appearing before Plumtree magistrate, Gideon Ruvetsa, facing theft and possession of dangerous drugs charges, Thabani Ndlovu said he was in severe pain as a result of the attack.

The bicycle thief was convicted on his own plea of guilty to both charges and was sentenced to 14 months imprisonment. Six months were suspended for five years on condition that he does not within that period commit a similar offence.

“I’m in severe pain Your Worship because I was attacked by villagers and as you can see my head is bandaged. They ganged up on me and they assaulted me with bricks, logs and any weapons that they could find.

“I don’t know why they were even attacking me because when they caught me I told them that I was on my way to return the bicycle which I had stolen.

“I’m sure that they should also be prosecuted because they committed an offence by attacking me,” said Ndlovu.

He said he stole the bicycle but later decided to return it, only to be attacked before he could do so.

Ruvetsa advised Ndlovu to make a formal police report if he had a complaint against community members who attacked him.

Prosecuting, Elisha Mazorodze, said Ndlovu stole a bicycle belonging to 64-year-old Sidoli Moyo on April 17 around 2PM.

He said Moyo left his bicycle by the gate at his farm and Ndlovu took it and went away unnoticed. He said Moyo alerted fellow villagers who tracked it to Ndlovu’s homestead.

Mazorodze said Ndlovu was appre-hended by community members and when police searched him they found some dagga in his pockets.