A PIONEER Village 3 herd boy in Fort Rixon, Insiza district of Matabeleland South, was speared to death by a villager who allegedly caught him red-handed in bed with his wife.
SILAS NKALA STAFF REPORTER
Fanuel Ncube (37) appeared before Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Lawrence Kamocha facing a charge of murdering Ndabezinhle Sibanda (48) on February 5.
Through his lawyer Tungamirai Nyengera, Ncube pleaded guilty to the murder, but said it was not intentional as he had acted out of anger after finding the victim sleeping with his wife Cathrine Dope.
Since his plea was conditionally based on provocation, the judge indicated that he was recording it as not guilty necessitating a full trial.
Prosecutor Whisper Mabhaudi then submitted for consideration that evidence be led by Dope, Mhlabeni Sibanda, Eretina Ndebele, Vusa Zinjiva, Davis Chiriga, Constable Leeroy Mabunje and Dr Sanganai Pesanayi, who conducted an autopsy on the deceased’s body.
Sibanda told the court that he was the accused’s uncle.
“I know the deceased as a herd boy who was employed by David Hlabangane,” he said.
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“He had no homestead and was just employed. On February 5 at around 8pm, I was seated in the kitchen when Ncube came in.
“I congratulated him for getting a new job and he said he accepted the congratulations, but had come to tell me that he had killed someone.”
Sibanda said Ncube told him that he had found the man in his bedroom hut with his wife and they fought and he had killed him using a knobkerrie and a spear.
“I then left to wake up neighbours while he (Ncube) said he was going to tell his wife’s grandfather about the murder,” he said.
“I advised him not to run away because the matter was supposed to be handled by the police.”
Sibanda said when they got to Ncube’s homestead, he showed him the weapons he used to kill the deceased.
“I then informed the neighbourhood watch committee and they came and arrested him,” he added.
“Ncube had complained three times about the deceased to me saying he was sleeping with his wife and I advised him to report the matter to the police.”
Justice Kamocha then said to Sibanda: “There is a young man who complains about someone much older than him who sleeps with his wife; did the elders do something or tell the deceased to stop?
“What is disappointing is that the young man complains about the elderly man who sleeps with his wife, but elders do nothing; this means your community is not proper you see.”
Ncube told the court that he worked for Hlabangane in Bulawayo while the deceased worked at his employer’s homestead as a herd boy.
He said he started working on January 9 this year and decided to visit his village on February 5 and was shocked to find the deceased in his bedroom hut with his wife.
Other witnesses are set to testify today as the trial continues.
