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Nduduzo Tshuma Senior Reporter
RECENTLY appointed Ntabazinduna chief, Nhlanhlayamangwe Felix Ndiweni, was reportedly arrested at the weekend over a case of alleged arson committed in Esigodini, Matabeleland South last year. Nhlanhlayamangwe whose appointment is being challenged by his elder brother Joram in the courts allegedly destroyed and set on fire property belonging to his sister Lydia’s in-laws in a wrangle over Khalanyoni Farm.
After committing the alleged crime, Nhlanhlayamangwe was summonned by the police but left for the United Kingdom.

A family member, Mavis Mthethwa, whose late brother was married to Lydia, said Nhlanhlayamangwe was picked by Hillside police officers at the weekend after they went to report that he was back in the country.

She said the police in Bulawayo transferred the appointed chief to Esigodini but he was released under unclear circumstances.
Bulawayo police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Abednico Ncube directed Chronicle to his Matabeleland South counterpart for comment.
“That case belongs to Matabeleland South, call the province,” he said.

Matabeleland South police spokesperson Inspector Philisani Ndebele referred questions to the courts.
“I did not hear about that case, besides Ndiweni is from Matabeleland North,” he said.

When told that the alleged offence was committed in his province, Ndebele said, “why can’t you contact the courts because when it goes there, it does not come back to the police?”

Ndiweni family spokesperson Wislon Bancinyane yesterday declined to comment on the matter referring questions to the “chief”.
He gave Chronicle Nhlanhlayamangwe’s number but the mobile phone was not reachable.

Mthethwa told this paper that they were not against Nhlanhlayamangwe’s appointment but wanted to get justice.
She said some time last year Nhlanhlayamangwe went into a tantrum and destroyed doors, window panes before burning some household property in two houses belonging to her and her sister.

“We found cattle locked in a pen, our brother came from South Africa to release the beasts. When Nhanhlayamangwe came and discovered that the cattle had been set loose, he went on a rampage destroying window panes and burnt our property. We suspect he wanted to sell the livestock,” said Mthethwa.

“We reported the matter to the police, when he was summoned he left for the United Kingdom. When we heard that he was back in the country, we made a report to the police in Esigodini but we did not get any joy. We went to the police headquarters in Gwanda who promised that they would make an arrest.”

Mthethwa said they had to engage the police in Bulawayo leading to Nhlanhlayamangwe’s arrest at the weekend.
“He was picked up by police from Hillside and taken to Esigodini. When we visited Esigodini on Monday, we learnt that he had been released in circumstances we failed to understand. The prosecutor who called himself Khuphe said there was nothing to worry about since Nhlanhlayamangwe was interested in taking up the Ntabazinduna chieftancy so he won’t run away,” she said.

Efforts to get a comment from Khuphe were fruitless.