A 42-year-old Gokwe man, who stole three cattle and used part of the loot to compensate his mother whom he had accused of witchcraft, has been sentenced to 24 years in jail for stocktheft.
REPORT BY SILAS NKALA STAFF REPORTER
Nathaniel Ndebele of Kufa village on Tuesday told the court he used two of the cattle to compensate his mother and a traditional healer who had attended to his sick child, but sold the third one.
Gokwe resident magistrate Shepherd Mjanja, however, suspended three-and-a-half years of Ndebele’s sentence on condition of good behaviour and restitution.
The court heard that sometime between August and September this year, Ndebele went to the Kufa village grazing area in Gokwe where he stole his neighbour Edson Manya’s heifer valued at $150.
He gave it to his mother Margaret Tshuma as compensation for labelling her a witch after he was ordered to do so by the traditional court. The beast was later recovered from one Cephas Mapfumo, who had bought it from Ndebele’s mother.
Ndebele also went to the Chinegoto area grazing lands during the same period and stole a black bull worth $350 owned by Shepherd Ndabambi. He sold it to Richard Matibenga. It was not recovered.
He also stole a heifer worth $250 belonging to Albert Sose of Wambira village. He used it to pay Siphelile Ngwenya (26), a traditional healer, for healing services rendered to his child.
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The beast was later recovered from Ngwenya, leading to Ndebele’s arrest.
