Zimpapers Logo

Marvelous Moyo Gwanda Correspondent
TWO Filabusi men allegedly stoned their neighbour to death, accusing him of not greeting them.

Blessed Ncube, 18, and Callup Sibanda, whose age was not given in court, both from Avoca area, allegedly teamed up and fatally assaulted a fellow villager Vusumuzi Mathuthu.

Sibanda was arrested in neighbouring South Africa where he had escaped to soon after Mathuthu’s death.

Allegations by the State represented by Mncedisi Dube are that on February 1, this year at about 12 noon, Ncube and Sibanda were drinking beer at Malathu Moyo’s homestead in Mbawulo area.

Dube said Mathuthu was drinking beer at the same homestead with his brother Bongani Mathuthu and his friends.

“A misunderstanding arose when Bongani greeted Ncube and Sibanda. The two asked why the now deceased Mathuthu and his friends did not greet them when they came to the homestead,” said Dube.

The court heard the infuriated pair left the homestead for an unknown place.

Dube told the court that after a while, the Mathuthu brothers also left the homestead.

He said at around 3PM while the Mathuthus were walking along a footpath, Ncube and Sibanda ambushed them.

Bongani, Dube said, ran away when Ncube and Sibanda attacked them, leaving his brother behind.

“Ncube shot the now deceased once on the left leg using a catapult while Sibanda struck him with a stone on the head and he fell to the ground.

“While the now deceased was lying on the ground, Sibanda allegedly stamped on him with booted feet several times indiscriminately until he fell unconscious,” Dube told the court.

Moyo came by and restrained Sibanda from further assaulting Mathuthu.

Bongani came out of his hiding place and teamed up with Moyo to ferry Mathuthu to seek medical attention.

Mathuthu was bleeding profusely from the nose and mouth.

His condition deteriorated while he was admitted to Filabusi District Hospital where he died.

A stone weighing 570grammes was recovered from the scene of the incident.

Sibanda was arrested soon after the commission of the crime while Ncube had been on the run for a month and was arrested on Saturday at Musina in South Africa after police were tipped off.

He made an initial appearance before Gwanda magistrate Olivia Mashava-Mashaire charged with murder and was not asked to plead.

He was advised to apply for bail at the High Court and remanded in custody to March 16.