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Lethokuhle Moyo Court Reporter
A MAN from Nkayi was caught at Beitbridge as he attempted to cross the border to escape murder charges after he fatally assaulted a 50-year-old man whose body was discovered late last month by two police officers.

Owethu Hleza, 28, told Bulawayo magistrate Sibongile Msipa that he was assaulted by police officers after he was arrested in Beitbridge for Simon Nkomo’s murder.

Hleza’s accomplices Bruce Sibanda and Linos Mahlangu are already on remand.

The murder suspect was not asked to plead and was remanded in custody to December 1. Magistrate Msipa said Hleza’s record will be combined with that of his accomplices and advised him to apply for bail at the High Court.

Prosecuting Den Kasenza told the court that on October 30 this year, along the Inyathi-Insiza Road, Hleza, Sibanda and Mahlangu assaulted Nkomo several times on the body and head using switches and stones.

Kasenza said the three men left Nkomo lying on the side of the road with serious injuries.

“On the 31st of October 2014, two police officers from Inyathi saw Nkomo lying on the side of the road. The officers ferried Nkomo to Inyathi hospital but he later died from the injuries he sustained,” he said.

Kasenza told the court that the switches and stones used to assault Nkomo were recovered. He added that the postmortem results indicate that Nkomo died due to assault.