ONE member of a Beitbridge family, which assaulted a relative for refusing to consult a traditional healer over the death of another relative, has been slapped with a $400 fine, while the alleged accomplices were acquitted.
BY SILAS NKALA
Talkikas Sibanda (18), Stephen Sibanda (61), Caroline Sibanda (28) and Grace Sibanda (23), all of Jacha village under Chief Staudze in Beitbridge, pleaded not guilty to a charge of assaulting Elias Choeni (45) when they appeared before Beitbridge magistrate Langton Mkwengi at the start of the trial.
The magistrate convicted Talkikas and ordered him to pay $400 fine. Stephen, Caroline and Grace were acquitted.
Choeni is Talkikas, Caroline and Grace’s uncle and a brother-in-law to Stephen.
Prosecutor Munyonga Kuvarega told the court that after Stephen’s wife (name not mentioned in State papers) died, on December 28 last year at 7pm, Choeni and the four relatives planned to consult a traditional healer seeking to find the cause of her death.
Stephen’s wife was Talkikas, Caroline and Grace’s mother.
They initially went to the village head’s home, where they discussed the planned trip.
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It is then that Choeni asked the village head if he had recorded the details of the vehicle and the driver who was going to drive it during the planned trip.
This did not go down well with the four relatives, who wanted him to just get onto the vehicle without delay, but he refused.
Talkikas allegedly struck Choeni with a fist on the chest before he was refrained by Shadreck Sibanda and Edlucky Ncube and this led to the cancellation of the journey.
Choeni then left for his home alone.
The quartet followed behind him in the vehicle driven by Talkikas, while Stephen, Caroline and Grace shouted at Choeni when they caught up with him.
They stopped and took turns to assault him using logs and open hands.
Choeni later reported the matter to the police before he was referred to hospital for treatment.
This led to the arrest of the four family members.
