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Plumtree Correspondent
A 25-YEAR-OLD Bulilima woman broke into her neighbour’s kraal at midnight and stole a goat in a bid to get food for her two children. Prisca Chigambura allegedly drove the goat from Mthabisi Sibanda’s homestead in Tokwana area to a neighbouring village where she intended to sell it to a relative. She ran out of luck after Sibanda pursued and caught up with her while she was driving the goat.

Chigambura was arrested on Thursday last week and is under police guard at Plumtree District hospital where one of her children has been admitted for malnutrition.

Sibanda said he heard a noise coming from his kraal around 12AM on Thursday and realised that one of his goats was missing and the gate had been left open.

Chronicle yesterday caught up with Chigambura at the hospital and she said she had resorted to stealing as her South Africa-based husband, Yopsen Ncube, 45, had stopped supporting his family. The woman has been at the hospital for the past five days under police guard.

A police source said Chigambura was waiting for her baby to recover before appearing in court.

Chigambura said she could no longer bear watching her two children aged four years and one-year-four months, starving while their father did nothing to support them. She said her husband last sent them groceries in May after she had told some family members to engage him.

“I have been relying on small food handouts which I get from relatives and church members because my husband is not taking care of his family. We last got food from him in May after his relatives forced him to send us groceries but they only lasted a week.

“His last visit was in June but he only brought food which lasted for the two days which he spent with us and when he left we had nothing,” said Chigambura.

She said each time her husband visits he only brings enough groceries to last the duration of his stay. Chigambura said she did not know what kind of job her husband did in the neighbouring country but she was sure that he was earning a “decent salary”. She said she last spoke to her husband in September as he was now avoiding her calls. She said contrary to Sibanda’s allegations, she broke into his kraal at around 10PM.

“There is a goat which belongs to me which I gave to my neighbour for safekeeping. I knew that if I approached him and asked for it with the intention to sell it he would tell my husband. That is why I decided to steal it from his kraal but unfortunately I took the wrong one because it was dark. I asked my niece to help me collect it from the kraal and as we were heading for the bushes it made a noise which alerted my neighbour,” said Chigambura.

She said her niece then ditched her and she dragged the goat alone to a neighbouring village where she intended to sell it. Chigambura said she wanted to sell the goat in order to raise money to buy food for her two children. She told Chronicle she was making her way in the dark when she saw a vehicle approaching from behind and Sibanda who was in the car ordered her to stop. Chagambura said her neighbour alerted the police, leading to her arrest.