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Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter
A 17-YEAR-OLD boy from Tsholotsho has been ordered to perform 600 hours of community service for fatally stabbing his cousin with a knife and a postmortem said his victim died due to lack of proper medical attention at a local hospital.

Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Maxwell Takuva, on circuit in Hwange found the boy, who cannot be named for ethical reasons, guilty of murder with constructive intent. 

The boy, who was represented by Ms Linda Mthombeni of Dube, Nkala and Company, was sentenced to perform 600 hours of community service at a clinic in Tsholotsho. 

He fatally stabbed his cousin with a knife last year on June 30 when he was aged 16 and his victim was aged 17.

The two had connived with another juvenile to steal a donkey drawn cart from a neighbour’s homestead to carry bags of maize to Gwayi Railway Station on June 30 last year.

As they were walking towards the neighbour’s homestead at around 10PM, the accused person started whistling prompting the now deceased to rebuke him for making noise. 

They started arguing which led to a fight.

The accused person ran away and came back armed with a knife which he used to stab his cousin once on the left side of the chest and he screamed and collapsed.

 Neighbours came and rushed the injured boy to Sipepa Clinic using the same cart they had wanted to steal.

He was transferred to Tsholotsho District Hospital where he was treated and discharged after a few days.

However, his condition deteriorated and was he readmitted at the same hospital a few days later before being transferred to Mpilo Central Hospital where he was also treated and discharged.

The boy died on August 1 while at his aunt’s place of residence in Bulawayo’s Old Magwegwe suburb.

He had just finished bathing, preparing to go back to Tsholotsho when he collapsed and died on the spot.

A postmortem done on August 5 showed that the boy died due to stabbing, and could have survived if he had received proper medical care.  

“He had complained of upper abdominal pain, abdominal distension and body swelling which had been highlighted to nurses and doctors at Mpilo Hospital but nothing was done. Food was leaking from the stomach through the stab wound,” read part of the postmortem report.

-@ncubeleon