BY RICHARD MUPONDE
FOUR Cyclone Idai survivors on Tuesday received a wholly suspended sentence for invading a commercial farm in Chipinge West belonging to Jourbert David Hercules and building their homesteads without his consent.
Stan Maheya (51), Lazarus Mandibaye (49), Anna Mlambo (41) and Patricia Hlahla (29) pleaded guilty to the charge of trespassing when they appeared before Chipinge magistrate Joshua Nembaware on Tuesday.
They were each sentenced to six months in prison which were wholly-suspended for five years on condition that they do not commit a similar offence in that period.
The court noted that they could not be put on community service because they were of no fixed abode and they did not have the means to pay a fine while imprisonment was going to be a very rigorous experience for them.
In their mitigation, the four told the court that they invaded the farm because they had no place to stay.
Prosecutor Sekesai Mayera told the court that on an unknown date, but in July this year, the four went to the Chipinge West Farm belonging to the Hercules and built their homesteads without the consent of the farm owner.
On July 23, Hercules sent his security workers to advise them to leave the farm, but they resisted. A police report was made, leading to their arrest.
