News / Regional
Soldiers fined $200 for rifle used to kill three people
18 Jun 2012 at 11:53hrs | Views
THREE soldiers attached to Support 1:2 Infantry Battalion in Hwange who went on a hunting expedition at a farm in Hwange and failed to secure the firearms resulting in one of the rifles being used to kill three people have been fined $200 (or six months in prison).
Sergeant Lizwe Mudimba (33), Corporal Manatsa Hlabano (32) and Lance Corporal Jameson Pirukai (24) were convicted on their own pleas of guilty to contravening Section 28 (2) as read with Section 28 (5) of the Firearms Act (Chapter 10.09) (failure to secure a firearm).
Hwange resident provincial magistrate Mr Collet Ncube further sentenced them to an additional six months in prison, which was wholly suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour.
The trio which was initially charged with their Officer Commanding Lieutenant Colonel Mthulaeng Siziba (52), had charges of contravening Section 59 (2) (a) of the Parks and Wildlife Act withdrawn before plea after the State found that there was no evidence to show that they had hunted without authority.
Lt Col Siziba was also cleared on the failure to secure firearms charge, as he was not at the scene of the crime.
The court heard that on 31 January this year, the trio was at Railway Farm 53 Lubangwe in Hwange District where they had been deployed to hunt.
During the time of the hunt, they did not secure their three AK 47 rifles but kept them behind the back seat of a broken down vehicle, which was not secure.
At around 3pm, Mr Mthandazo Ndlovu, who was owner of the farm and his son Honest, a professional hunter, visited the farm from Victoria Falls.
Mthandazo confronted his son Mandlenkosi on why he had engaged members of the Zimbabwe National Army to hunt on his property since it was not the hunting season.
Mthandazo and Honest had an exchange of words with Mandlenkosi, an ex-member of the ZNA, resulting in Mandlenkosi arming himself with one of the rifles that were in the broken vehicle and shooting dead his father and brother before turning the gun on himself.
Mr Sifelumuzi Fuzane appeared for the State while Mr Thembelani Khumalo, of Cheda and Partners, defended the trio.
Sergeant Lizwe Mudimba (33), Corporal Manatsa Hlabano (32) and Lance Corporal Jameson Pirukai (24) were convicted on their own pleas of guilty to contravening Section 28 (2) as read with Section 28 (5) of the Firearms Act (Chapter 10.09) (failure to secure a firearm).
Hwange resident provincial magistrate Mr Collet Ncube further sentenced them to an additional six months in prison, which was wholly suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour.
The trio which was initially charged with their Officer Commanding Lieutenant Colonel Mthulaeng Siziba (52), had charges of contravening Section 59 (2) (a) of the Parks and Wildlife Act withdrawn before plea after the State found that there was no evidence to show that they had hunted without authority.
Lt Col Siziba was also cleared on the failure to secure firearms charge, as he was not at the scene of the crime.
During the time of the hunt, they did not secure their three AK 47 rifles but kept them behind the back seat of a broken down vehicle, which was not secure.
At around 3pm, Mr Mthandazo Ndlovu, who was owner of the farm and his son Honest, a professional hunter, visited the farm from Victoria Falls.
Mthandazo confronted his son Mandlenkosi on why he had engaged members of the Zimbabwe National Army to hunt on his property since it was not the hunting season.
Mthandazo and Honest had an exchange of words with Mandlenkosi, an ex-member of the ZNA, resulting in Mandlenkosi arming himself with one of the rifles that were in the broken vehicle and shooting dead his father and brother before turning the gun on himself.
Mr Sifelumuzi Fuzane appeared for the State while Mr Thembelani Khumalo, of Cheda and Partners, defended the trio.
Source - Court
