THE trial of three Gwanda men accused of murdering three women and a baby before mutilating their bodies in the Stanmore area near Gwanda is set to resume in the third term of the Bulawayo High Court which opens next week.
RICHARD MUPONDE SENIOR COURT REPORTER
According to a Bulawayo High Court list, the case would be part of 27 murder cases lined up for trial when the court opens for the final term of the 2014 legal year.
Mncedisi Ndlovu, Bhekimpilo Mthethwa and Nhlanhla Sibanda of Gumani and Mtengwele villages, respectively, all pleaded not guilty to four counts of murder when they initially appeared in court.
The allegations are that between November 18 and December 8 2010, the three killed three women and a seven-month-old baby girl in the Stanmore area and mutilated their bodies.
It was the State’s case that on November 18 2010, the trio attacked and killed Meglina Mahlangu who had left Bulawayo for her home in Stanmore.
They allegedly cut off her breasts and private parts before concealing the body and taking away the deceased’s belongings.
Mahlangu’s family later filed a missing person’s report with the police. Human bones were later discovered scattered around some rocks and a report was made to the police.
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A black bra and a small plastic bottle with some jelly belonging to Mahlangu were recovered from Sibanda, one of the accused persons.
On December 1 of the same year, the alleged murderers pounced on Nothando Siziba, who had arrived at Stanmore from Bulawayo with her seven-month-old baby.
Siziba’s relatives looked for her in vain. Her mother heard that a human body had been discovered in a shallow grave and she went to the scene where she positively identified the body as that of her daughter.
The baby’s remains were also found at the scene. Acting on information received from members of the public, police recovered Siziba’s clothes from Ndlovu’s girlfriend.
A week later the three allegedly murdered 81-year-old Ntombana Ncube who had arrived in the area from Collen Bawn. They are being represented by pro deo lawyers Tanaka Muganyi, Ndabezinhle Mazibuko and Nathan Mashayamombe.
