AN employee at Mbokodo Abattoirs in Bulawayo allegedly caused the death of a workmate after switching on the stockfeed mixing machine while his colleague was inside, cleaning it. REPORT BY SILAS NKALA STAFF REPORTER
The tragedy was heard by Bulawayo magistrate Merlyn Mtshina when Judah Marwisa (36) appeared before her on Thursday facing a culpable homicide charge following the death of Bongani Ncube, who was 25.
Marwisa, of Sizinda Flats in Bulawayo, was not asked to plead to the charge and was remanded out of custody on $50 bail to January 23 for trial.
The court heard that on December 17 last year at around 5pm, Ncube, of Mbokodo Abbattoirs compound in Bulawayo, was cleaning the interior of the tractor-driven stockfeed mixing machine together with a fellow worker Onias Mpume at the company premises located at number 28 Bonacord Road.
Marwisa — who was the operator of the machine — came from outside without checking the interior for foreign objects and switched it on.
Mpume, who was with Ncube, jumped out of the machine when he heard it start and shouted for help, leaving Ncube inside. The machine was switched off by Angus Sean York who discovered that Ncube had been killed by the rotating pedals of the machine.
Ncube’s body was taken to the United Bulawayo Hospital for postmortem and a report made to the police led to Marwisa’s arrest.
