By A Correspondent- A 25 year old man from Village 3 Badala area in Inyathi, Matabeleland North province, died after he was allegedly brutally assaulted by four men all over the body with a switch and log.

The now deceased who was being accused of stealing one of the alleged assailants’ clothes had his hands and legs tied together with a shoelace before he was repeatedly and severely assaulted with a switch and log all over the body.

Circumstances are that on 1 August this year the now deceased Honour Nxumalo was at his homestead when he was approached by Titos Sonewa and his accomplices Blessed Nyathi, Evidence Nyandeni and Thembani Ndlovu who are all still at large.

It is reported that when they approached him, they started accusing him of having stolen one of the alleged assailants’ clothes which were being kept at his neighbour’s house.

It is alleged that Sonewa and his accomplices force-marched the now deceased to the bush where they later tied his hands and legs together with a shoelace.

After tying him they allegedly assaulted him several times with a switch and log all over the body.

It is yet to be proven that when they realised that Nxumalo had fallen unconscious they fled from the scene.

Nxumalo’s lifeless body was discovered the following day with multiple injuries all over it and a report was made to the police whose investigations led to the arrest of Sonewa.

For the offence Sonewa was dragged before Bulawayo magistrate Shepherd Mjanja facing a murder charge as defined in Section 47 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Chapter 9:23.

He was, however, not asked to plead and was remanded in custody to 28 August. The magistrate advised him to apply for bail at the High Court.-statemedia