News / Local
Duo up for student rape, murder
11 Dec 2013 at 03:38hrs | Views
TWO men accosted a United College of Education female student, assaulted and raped her till she lost consciousness before allegedly stoning her male companion to death.
The student, 29, whose details cannot be made public, sought help from passersby who assisted her to make a report to the police when she later regained consciousness.
The incident occurred at a bush behind the UCE campus on March 9, 2011.
The woman, however, had positively identified one of the two assailants and gave a convincing description to the police leading to his arrest.
Shadreck Noel Sibanda of Nguboyenja and Njabulo Ndlovu of Cowdray Park, who wielded knives when they pounced on the woman, allegedly fatally assaulted Themba Mafunga, her male companion.
Mafunga was employed at the woman's house as a security guard and would accompany her to college because of alleged criminals who were reportedly prowling around the college.
He died on the spot as a result of the assault.
Sibanda and Ndlovu now face rape and murder charges.
The two men appeared before former Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Nicholas Ndou yesterday.
Through their pro deo lawyers Innocent Mafirakureva and Walter Nyabadza, Sibanda and Ndlovu denied ever committing the offences saying they were nowhere near the scene on March 9, 2011.
After leading defence, the lawyers made an application to bring a witness, Mthokozisi Tshuma who reportedly made a statement to the police implicating the two.
The lawyers want Tshuma to testify in respect of the warned and cautioned statement which the accused are disputing and to tell the court about what he was doing when he spotted the two behind UCE.
Tshuma's whereabouts are reportedly not known.
Justice Ndou will make a ruling on the application tomorrow.
Whisper Mabhaudhi, from the Attorney General's Office, told how on March 9, 2011, at about 5pm, Mafunga was walking along a gravel road behind the college campus in the company of the woman whom he was accompanying from college to Highmount.
Sibanda and Ndlovu allegedly emerged from the bush and drew knives which they used to threaten the two before assaulting them with fists and booted feet.
It is alleged that they force marched them into the bush where they allegedly assaulted Mafunga with a stone and he fell down.
The court heard that Sibanda and Ndlovu forced the woman to lie down and raped her, leaving her unconscious.
Sibanda implicated Ndlovu after his arrest.
In their defence, the two said they were drinking beer at Waverly Hotel at the time it is alleged that they committed the offence.
They said they were forced by the police who assaulted them to admit to the charges.
The student, 29, whose details cannot be made public, sought help from passersby who assisted her to make a report to the police when she later regained consciousness.
The incident occurred at a bush behind the UCE campus on March 9, 2011.
The woman, however, had positively identified one of the two assailants and gave a convincing description to the police leading to his arrest.
Shadreck Noel Sibanda of Nguboyenja and Njabulo Ndlovu of Cowdray Park, who wielded knives when they pounced on the woman, allegedly fatally assaulted Themba Mafunga, her male companion.
Mafunga was employed at the woman's house as a security guard and would accompany her to college because of alleged criminals who were reportedly prowling around the college.
He died on the spot as a result of the assault.
Sibanda and Ndlovu now face rape and murder charges.
The two men appeared before former Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Nicholas Ndou yesterday.
Through their pro deo lawyers Innocent Mafirakureva and Walter Nyabadza, Sibanda and Ndlovu denied ever committing the offences saying they were nowhere near the scene on March 9, 2011.
The lawyers want Tshuma to testify in respect of the warned and cautioned statement which the accused are disputing and to tell the court about what he was doing when he spotted the two behind UCE.
Tshuma's whereabouts are reportedly not known.
Justice Ndou will make a ruling on the application tomorrow.
Whisper Mabhaudhi, from the Attorney General's Office, told how on March 9, 2011, at about 5pm, Mafunga was walking along a gravel road behind the college campus in the company of the woman whom he was accompanying from college to Highmount.
Sibanda and Ndlovu allegedly emerged from the bush and drew knives which they used to threaten the two before assaulting them with fists and booted feet.
It is alleged that they force marched them into the bush where they allegedly assaulted Mafunga with a stone and he fell down.
The court heard that Sibanda and Ndlovu forced the woman to lie down and raped her, leaving her unconscious.
Sibanda implicated Ndlovu after his arrest.
In their defence, the two said they were drinking beer at Waverly Hotel at the time it is alleged that they committed the offence.
They said they were forced by the police who assaulted them to admit to the charges.
Source - chronicle
