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Sukulwenkosi Dube Plumtree Correspondent
AN 18-YEAR-OLD Mangwe teenager flew into a rage and struck his 16-year-old ex-girlfriend with an axe on the leg after he found her in bed with another man. Lizwe Tshuma of Nkedile village followed his ex-girlfriend to her boyfriend’s homestead. He forced his way into the house around 3AM and found the two having sex.

He confronted his ex-girlfriend and her lover, Jabulile Moyo, who fled from the homestead, leaving his girlfriend at the mercy of the disgruntled ex-lover.

Tshuma was convicted of assault by Plumtree magistrate, Gideon Ruvetsa. He was sentenced to nine months imprisonment of which three months were suspended for five years on condition that he does not within that period commit a similar offence. The remaining six months were suspended on condition that he performs 210 hours of community service at Nkedile Primary School.

Tshuma told the court that he became agitated after he learnt that his ex-girlfriend was in love with another man as he still loved her. “I’m not done with my ex-girlfriend because I still love her. She is the one who broke up with me but I told her that I didn’t want our relationship to end but she wouldn’t understand,” he said.

“On the day that I assaulted her someone told me that she was spending her nights at her new boyfriend’s homestead whom they identified as Jabulile Moyo who is my neighbour.”

Prosecuting, Elisha Mazorodze said on September 1 around 3AM, Tshuma proceeded to Moyo’s homestead armed with an axe after he discovered that his ex-girlfriend was now in love with him. He said Tshuma found his ex-girlfriend having sex with her boyfriend in his bedroom hut. Mazorodze said the disgruntled teenager forced open the bedroom door and confronted the lovers.

“Tshuma told Moyo that he was still in love with the girl and tried to assault him with an axe but Moyo dodged and fled from the homestead. Tshuma ordered her to get dressed and he grabbed her by the arm and force marched her to his homestead,” he said. Mazorodze said along the way, Tshuma struck his ex-lover once on the left thigh with the axe and punched her several times all over the body.

The girl was rescued by villagers who had been alerted by Moyo of Tshuma’s violent behaviour. The matter was reported to the police resulting in his arrest.