THIRTEEN Zanu PF activists, who allegedlywent on a rampage at a village headman’s homestead in Insiza destroying property worth $11 000 briefly appeared in court on Thursday before their case was postponed, as they were yet to engage a lawyer. BY SILAS NKALA
A teacher Shame Mathe (49), Holiday Ndlovu (52), Zanu PF councillor Edith Gumbo (45), Virginiah Mathe (45) Eva Ndlovu, Sifikile Mathe, Nqobile Dlodlo (18), Esinathi Ncube, Kinana Dlodlo, Monica Mpofu, Abel Khumalo, Jennifer Dlamini, and Thandiwe Ndlovu were not asked to plead to malicious damage to property when they appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Sithembiso Ncube.
They were remanded out of custody to December 11 for trial.
The 13 are facing 20 counts of malicious damage to property.
The State allegations are that on June 11 this year, the group ran amok and destroyed Ernest Nxumalo’s property worth $11 000, which includes huts and household property, accusing him of seeking to settle Nkayi villagers, who were reclaiming their ancestral land.
Nxumalo lost property worth $2 171. The rest of the property belonged to 19 land seekers, who had left their household goods at Nxumalo’s homestead for safekeeping.
The matter was reported to the police, leading to the activists’ arrest.
