‘Ritual’ murder trial continues

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THE Bulawayo High Court opened yesterday for the second term of the 2014 legal year with 20 murder cases lined up for trial.

THE Bulawayo High Court opened yesterday for the second term of the 2014 legal year with 20 murder cases lined up for trial.

SENIOR COURT REPORTER

A case of three men who allegedly killed four people for suspected ritual purposes in Gwanda is set to continue.

However, criminal trials are set to start next Monday.

According to the High Court case list, all police stations and remand prisons holding or dealing with the cases set down for trial have been advised to make the suspects available for trial.

The Gwanda murders trial that were being heard by judge Justice Martin Makonese has been set down for June 24.

Mncedisi Ndlovu (18), Nhlanhla Sibanda (23) and Bhekimpilo Mthethwa (41) are facing four counts of murder.

They allegedly killed four people and cut off their breasts and private parts for suspected ritual purposes in Stanmore.

Charges against them are that the three killed Melina Mahlangu, cut off both her breasts and private parts before robbing her of her belongings which were later recovered at the men’s homesteads in Stanmore.

They also allegedly killed Nothando Siziba and hacked off her left breast before killing her seven-month-old baby. After murdering them, they buried the victims in shallow graves. They later killed Ntombana Moyo (81).

Court records show that one of the 15 witnesses called to testify revealed that Ndlovu claimed to have committed the murders after being sent by a Stanmore businessman who was not named in court.