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Plaxcedes Hove  Court Reporter
POLICE IN Bulawayo have arrested the unlicensed kombi driver who allegedly rammed a panel van into a house in Nkulumane suburb on Sunday and killed a five-year-old boy.Irvin Thabani Ndebele, 28, yesterday appeared before Western Commonage magistrate Themba Chimiso facing culpable homicide and driving without a licence charges. Ndebele was not asked to plead and was remanded in custody to October 9.

Prosecuting Whatmore Tembo said Ndebele negligently drove a Mercedes Benz sprinter and caused the accident.

The state alleges Siyabonga Ncube, who is said to be six years old in court records, although his parents said he was five on Sunday, died as a result of the negligence.

“Ndebele lost control of the vehicle and rammed into a house and killed Siyabonga Ncube,” Tembo said.

The court heard that on Sunday at around 7AM in Nkulumane 12 along an unnamed road, Ndebele crashed into a house and killed a six-year-old boy who was playing outside his home. He was also driving without a licence when the accident occurred.

In an interview, Ndebele said he never meant to kill the six-year-old boy.

“I was driving on a steep slope and I lost control of the vehicle. The next thing I saw, I had already rammed into the house. I did not mean to harm or kill anyone,” he said.

Ndebele, who had bruises on his face, said that the residents who were at the scene of the accident assaulted  him.

“I got these wounds due to the accident and also residents who were at the scene assaulted me for what I had done,” he said.