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Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Gwanda Correspondent 

TWO men have appeared in court for allegedly stealing 31 cattle from two farmers in West Nicholson.

Lungisani Sibanda (20) from Gwanda and Vusumuzi Mpofu (48) from Filabusi allegedly stole 23 cattle from Mr Ntsiyeni Ndou and eight beasts from Mr Iyang Siziba both of Plot 8 Highway Ranch.

They allegedly drove the cattle to Plot 29 Janee Ranch, about 40km away where Sibanda is employed as a herdsman.

The pair pleaded not guilty to two counts of stocktheft when they appeared before Gwanda provincial magistrate, Mr Maphios Moyo. 

They were remanded in custody to today for continuation of trial. In their defence through their lawyer Mrs Bridget Mushaninga, Sibanda, who is employed at the plot where the stolen animals were recovered, said their plot’s perimeter fence is broken, hence cattle from neighbouring farms stray into their property to graze.

He said the cattle could have strayed into the plot.

Mrs Mushaninga said Mpofu was contracted to mend the fence at the plot where the stolen cattle were recovered.

She said her client did not know how the animals got there. Both her clients deny stealing the cattle.

Prosecuting, Mr Mncedisi Dube said Sibanda and Mpofu stole the cattle on October 10 last year and were arrested three days later after their shoe prints were tracked from the crime scene.

“On 10 October 2018 at around 9PM, Sibanda and Mpofu connived and stole 23 cattle belonging to Mr Ntsiyeni Ndou at Plot 8 Highway Ranch in West Nicholson. They also stole eight head of cattle belonging to Mr Iyang Siziba which had been left to graze in the paddock overnight. Sibanda and Mpofu then drove the animals to Plot 29 Janee Ranch West Nicholson where Sibanda is employed as a herdsman,” he said.

“The matter came to light after Mr Easy Siziba and Mr Sydney Mbedzi who are workers at Highway Ranch saw shoe prints they thought belonged to the people who had driven away the cattle. Mr Siziba and Mr Mbedzi together with police officers tracked the shoe prints to Plot 29 Janee Ranch where Sibanda resides.” 

Mr Dube said Mpofu was found in Sibanda’s house and he was wearing shoes that had a print identical to the one which was found at the crime scene.

He said the missing cattle were found enclosed within the plot and some of them did not have bells.

Mr Dube said the recovered cattle were positively identified by the complainants through their brand marks resulting in Sibanda and Mpofu’s arrest.

– @DubeMatutu