A COMMUTER omnibus tout allegedly stabbed a fellow tout to death in a dispute over R8. SILAS NKALA STAFF REPORTER
Chemist Sakala (20) of Matshobana appeared before Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Andrew Mutema yesterday facing charges of murdering Simon Nyathi (27) of Gwabalanda.
Sakala denied charges of nurder through his lawyer Zibusiso Ncube, but pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of culpable homicide.
“The accused understands the charge. He pleads not guilty to murder but pleads guilty to a lesser charge of culpable homicide,” Ncube submitted.
In his defence, Sakala indicated that he stabbed Nyathi after they had fought and Nyathi kept chasing him.
Sakala said he did not intend to stab Nyathi in the heart and when all that happened he was under the influence of alcohol and was not in control of his emotions and actions.
For the State, Sifiso Ndlovu alleged that on March 17 2013 at around 3.30pm at the corner of 6th Avenue and Lobengula Street in Bulawayo, Sakala had an altercation with Nyathi over R8.
Sakala had forcibly taken R8 from the kombi in which Nyathi was a conductor after loading two passengers.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
The altercation degenerated into a fist fight and the two were restrained by one Mpumelelo Dube, the driver of the kombi Sakala was loading.
After about 10 minutes, Sakala returned to the kombi he was loading and took a pair of scissors and confronted Nyathi and allegedly stabbed him once on the left side of the chest.
Sakala then fled from the scene and got into another vehicle before speeding off.
He was arrested on March 18 at Stanmore while in a Toyota Granvia heading to South Africa.
The State then called Dube who told the court that Nyathi was his conductor.
“I was at the scene when I saw the accused loading two passengers into my kombi. I brought the vehicle into the loading bay and in the process I smashed the light of the vehicle. I went out of the vehicle to check and when I was checking I then saw accused and the now deceased fighting,” Dube said.
Dube said Sakala had loaded two passengers into his kombi while Nyathi was seated in the car and then went on to collect R8 from his cash tray.
“Nyathi asked him why he had collected the money from the cash tray without permission and a fight ensued. I restrained them and went across the road. When I looked back I saw Nyathi lying down, but did not know what happened after I restrained them.
“What I only saw was the accused getting into another vehicle which was parked close to the place and driving off,” he said
A post mortem produced by a government medical doctor Sanganai Pesanayi of the United Bulawayo Hospitals stated that Nyathi died due to haemorrhagic shock, stab wound to the heart and homicide.
The trial continues when other witnesses will be called in to testify.
