Late VP John Nkomo, Langton Masunda fight rages on

THE fight over a piece of land pitting businessman Langton Masunda and his brothers on one hand and the late Vice President Dr Landa John Nkomo continues with the case still pending in court.

Following a series of failed attempts to evict each other through High Court eviction orders, the two parties ended up ambushing each other resulting in the late VP Nkomo's security manager Eddie Sigoge firing at the Masunda family.

Sigoge (61) was security manager at Astra Group of Companies and is facing eight counts of attempting to kill the Masunda family and its friends while at the disputed Lugo Ranch in Gwayi. Langton Masunda owns Jijima Lodge at Lugo Ranch which was owned by the late VP Nkomo. The alleged shooting in which Sigoge, of 70903 Lobengula West left Patrick Masunda for the dead occurred in 2009.

Sigoge has an additional charge of possessing a firearm without a licence after it was discovered that the pistol he used belonged to his employer which had been registered in his (VP Nkomo) name for personal protection.

Although admitting that he shot Patrick Masunda, Sigoge has pleaded not guilty to the eight counts of attempted murder and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm, saying he opened fire because the complainants had intruded into the property.

"I fired three warning shots in the air when i noticed that there were some people who were driving a car around. I shot Patrick because he was advancing and it was at night and later fired at the car which was speeding off.

"I wanted to shoot the tyres to deflate them but I missed. I wanted to be the complainant after apprehending them than to be the defendant like this. It was dark but I could see a figure under a tree," said Sigoge in defence.

Yesterday the late VP Nkomo's son Mzamo Nkomo was supposed to lead evidence but defaulted prompting the regional magistrate Dambudzo Malunga to postpone the matter to two days, 14 and 15 January next year.

 Recently when the court went for inspection in loco, Nkomo told how he and Sigoge and the farm workers woke up from a chalet they were sleeping in to meet an advancing team of Messrs Patrick, Benjamin, Robert and Langton Masunda, their worker Vincent Ganizani, Zenzo Siziba and Mr Patrick Ndlovu.

He told court that the Masundas removed their property from Jijima Lodge and attempted to burn it resulting in Sigoge firing at them. The complainants' addresses were given as Number 1 Marion Avenue Fourwinds for Messrs Patrick, Benjamin and Robert Masunda, 4 Volunteer Farm in Dete for their brother Langton, Umguza Safaris for Ganizani and Jijima Lodge for Mr Ndlovu.

In his evidence, Mr Langton Masunda told the court how his brother was short and how he was rushed to hospital injured on both thighs and genitals.

Prosecuting Sifekumusa Fuzane told the court how on 9 May 2009 Sigoge opened fire on the complainants and nearly killed one of them. He said the complainants left Halfway Hotel along Bulawayo-Hwange road at about 8pm going to Jijima Lodge owned by Masunda Langton) driving in two cars.

When they ARRIVED, Sigoge had already armed himself after hearing noise of cars and shot a number of shots at Patrick Masunda who had advanced towards a dark spot he was hiding at.

When the other complainants noticed that their brother had been shot, the court heard, they rushed and picked him and put him in one of the cars and drove off to hospital.

Fuzane said Sigoge fired three more shots at the vehicle and a bullet went through the door of the car. Nkomo, Sigoge and some workers were lying in ambush at Lugo Ranch to block the Masundas from occupying it. A report was later made to the police leading to Sigoge's arrest.