By A Correspondent- Three Victoria Falls men have been arrested after they severely assaulted their neighbour until he lost consciousness before dumping his body in a nearby drain filled with sewage.
Mr Khaliphani Ngulube of 4873 in Chinotimba narrated to police how he was later rescued by an unidentified passerby who pulled him out of the flowing sewage and carried him home.
Mr Ngulube had approached Sibangiswani Nkomo (32), Cosmas Mulima (30) and Qondisani Ndlovu (27) at Nkomo’s house in Chinotimba where the trio was, inquiring about the whereabouts of a friend identified as Mr Brighton Singonge.
Instead Nkomo, Mulima and Ndlovu became hostile towards Mr Ngulube, upon which their colleague Mr Victor Chingenga, who was with them, suddenly pounced on the complainant and slapped him three times.
Mr Ngulube tried to escape but Mr Chingenga pursued him and the two engaged in a fight. Mr Ngulube then picked up a stone and hit Mr Chingenga once on the head and he collapsed.
Nkomo, Mulisa and Ndlovu joined in the fight and started assaulting Mr Ngulube with sticks while also punching and slapping him repeatedly until he fell unconscious. The trio carried Mr Ngulube and dumped him inside a pool of sewage flowing from a burst pipe.
Mr Chingenga was not arrested in relation to the incident. Nkomo, Mulima and Ndlovu pleaded guilty to a charge of assault each when they appeared before Victoria Falls magistrate Ms Linda Dzvene. Each was sentenced to eight months in prison of which two months were suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour.
The other six months were suspended on condition that each of them completes 210 hours of community service.
Nkomo will do the unpaid work at Chidobe Primary School while Mulima and Ndlovu will do theirs at the Victoria Falls Registrar General Office and Chinotimba Clinic respectively. Prosecuting Miss Audrey Mukanganya said the incident occurred in October last year.
“On the 31st day of October 2020 at 8PM the complainant proceeded to house number 1180 Chinotimba looking for his friend Brighton Singonge and found the three accused and Victor Chingenga seated outside. The complainant asked about his friend and was told that he was not around. A misunderstanding ensued over an undisclosed issue leading to the fight,” said Miss Mukanganya.
She said the three started assaulting Mr Ngulube. Mr Ngulube was treated and discharged at Victoria Falls Hospital while Mr Chingenga did not seek medical treatment.
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