A 35-year-Old Bulawayo man who allegedly killed a Victoria Falls school girl before throwing her body into the Zambezi River last week appeared in court yesterday charged with murder, attempted rape and robbery.
By Nokuthaba Dlamini
Nhlanganiso Luphahla of Old Pumula was not asked to plead to the charges when he briefly appeared before magistrate Sharon Rosemani.
Prosecutor Takunda Ndovorwi told the court that on July 15, Luphahla in the company of Augustine Ncube, who is still at large, met Brian Dube (21) and his girlfriend Praise Mpofu (16), both pupils at Mosi-Oa-Tunya High School, on the shores of the Zambezi River.
Ncube allegedly picked up a log and struck Dube at the back of his head before force-marching the lovebirds into a secluded area along the riverbed.
The suspects allegedly forced the lovers to undress and assaulted them with a log until Dube became unconscious.
Ncube then guarded Dube while Luphahla took Mpofu to a nearby bush and tried to rape her before hitting her again with the same log on the head untill she died.
The suspects threw her body into the river and went back to where they had left Dube.
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They allegedly tied his hands using a laptop cable and robbed him of some money,a laptop and a cell phone.
Luphahla told the court he could not speak properly after being tortured by police during interrogation.
“I cannot say anything right now. My knees are very painful, l was severely beaten by police officers on the day of the arrest,” he said. Rosemani said Luphahla’s torture claims would be investigated.
“The prosecutor will assist you regarding the matter, but since you are not feeling well, for now the prison nurse will assess your injuries and the State will investigate after,” she said.
Luphahla who kept asking for his relatives in Bulawayo to be informed of his arrest was advised to apply for bail at the High Court. He was remanded in custody to August 4.
