Pair arrested for fatal assault on phone thief

TWO men have been arrested while their three accomplices are still at large after they ganged up and beat a man to death for allegedly stealing a cell phone.

Thomas Ncube (28) and Thuthukani Moyo (32) both from West Nicholson and their accomplices allegedly assaulted Melusi Sibanda with knobkerries and sjamboks and dumped him in the bush.

Ncube and Moyo were not asked to plead when they appeared before Gwanda magistrate, Miss Lerato Nyathi facing a murder charge.

They were remanded in custody to December 17. Prosecuting, Mr Noel Mandebvu said the gang attacked Sibanda on November 23 after he allegedly stole a cell phone from a shopkeeper.

"On 17 December at around 8PM the now deceased was at Mbembesi Business Centre when he entered a shop to buy some groceries. Sibanda bought a few items and left and after he was gone the shopkeeper realised that her phone that she had placed on the counter was missing.

"She alerted Ncube, Moyo and their three accomplices who are still at large and told them that Sibanda had stolen her cell phone and they pursued him. The gang caught up with Sibanda and they searched him and found him in possession of the missing cell phone. They force marched him back to the business centre where the shop keeper confirmed that the cell phone belonged to her," he said.

Mr Mandebvu said the gang led Sibanda away from the business centre and they force marched him to a homestead where they collected some sjamboks and knobkerries which they used to assault him.

Mr Mandebvu said Ncube, Moyo and their accomplices assaulted Sibanda and left him in the bush and fled the scene. He said Sibanda's body was found on the following day by a passerby.

The matter was reported to the police leading to Ncube and Moyo's arrest.