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Lindani Dube Hwange Court Correspondent
FOUR murder suspects linked to the gruesome Binga shooting incident in January this year appeared in court and were further remanded to July 29.Hardlife Dube, 20, Lovemore Mudenda, 38, Robert Muleya, 31, and Japhet Muleya, 43, are expected to stand trial for four                         counts of murder while the state is finalising its case and investigations of the ghoulish killings.

The quartet from Chief Dobola and Chief Saba areas appeared for routine remand before Hwange magistrate Portia Mhlanga on Tuesday.

“The three of you will remain in custody till the 29th for trial,” said Mhlanga.

Court documents reveal Mudenda was granted $200 bail by the High Court and is expected to report fortnightly to Siachilaba Police Station in Binga. Dube applied for bail on grounds that his home was burned by police investigators and that his wife and children had no place to stay.

Muleya in his application said he was the sole breadwinner of his family.

The others were not granted bail as they are believed to be a flight risk and linked to Zambian poaching syndicates.  The court feared that they were likely to abscond or interfere with the evidence or witnesses.

Initially, there were six suspects, all of them known poachers in the Muchesu Conservancy and Chizarira National Park where they allegedly hunted elephants and pangolins.

Dube’s brother Emmanuel, and their father Jameson Sinola, a former Rhodesian police officer who was also an inyanga, died before being taken to the courts.

Japhet Muleya is already serving a three-year-jail term after admitting to possessing 110 rounds of ammunition for an AK rifle used in the dawn executions of Sithembinkosi Moyo, Nkosana Mdlongwa, Alvin Nyirenda and Mthulisi Leon Sibanda on January 5, this year.

Two others, Paul Siachimbo and his son, Trust, were in January fined for possessing ammunition of a British rifle, but were cleared of the quadruple homicide.

Prosecutors, say on January 5, the four accused were approached by Moyo, Mdlongwa, Nyirenda and Sibanda who wanted to buy ivory.

It is said the crew arranged to meet at Siansundu Business Centre but instead, Dube, Mudenda, Robert and Japhet lured the victims to Ngongonye area.

Upon reaching the 14km peg at the Ngongonye Bridge along Kariangwe-Lusulu Road, the accused stopped the victims’ car, an Isuzu double cab.

Allegations are that a row erupted over money for the illegal transaction resulting in the alleged shooting of the victims.

The alleged killers placed Moyo’s body, whose skull was cracked open, on the front seat, Nyirenda on the back seat and Nkosana’s body on the loading box.

The state alleges the attackers pushed the vehicle over the bridge to conceal the murder as a road traffic accident.

Allegations are that the killers took Sibanda and beheaded him about two kilometres away, where his lower body was found with hands still tied behind. His tongue, ears, nose, and lips had been sliced off and his eyes plucked out.

Prosecutors say the victims were robbed of money, two iPhones, five cell phones, one Karbonn smart phone, and other valuables.

Also an AK 47 rifle and one magazine with erased serial numbers was recovered at Sinoya Dube’s kraal, while 10 spent cartridges supplied by Japhet were recovered.

Safety shoes belonging to Robert and matching the footprints found at the crime scene were also recovered.

Police investigators also allege that the suspects’ bloodstained clothes and a raincoat whose owner is unknown were recovered.

Investigators were also told that the suspects were known poachers operating between Zimbabwe and Zambia where they would get the ammunition.