News / Regional
Filabusi woman (72) acquitted
01 Mar 2013 at 05:25hrs | Views
FILABUSI - A 72-year-old woman who was dragged to court on charges of stealing a heifer belonging to her grandson was yesterday acquitted.
Royna Nsingo was charged after her grandson Mandlenkosi Ncube (30) from Ntoma village in Filabusi alleged she had stolen his heifer which he had left in the custody of his neighbours while he was in South Africa.
Nsingo had pleaded not guilty before Filabusi magistrate Mzingaye Moyo.
Moyo found Nsingo not guilty and acquitted her before advising the two to take the matter to the Civil Court.
Three State witnesses testified against the woman while she brought in only one defence witness.
One of the State witnesses was a man who claimed to have sold the beast to Ncube.
Nsingo insisted the heifer was lobola for her daughter, who is Ncube's mother.
The prosecutor, Smart Tafireyi, told the court that sometime in 2006, Ncube bought a heifer from a villager in the area.
That year, Ncube moved to South Africa leaving his heifer under a neighbour's care.
When he returned last year, he discovered that his grandmother had taken the cow, which now had a calf. He asked his grandmother to return the beast, but she refused.
Ncube took the matter to the kraal head who ordered the grandmother to give back the beast to her nephew.
Nsingo returned the beast to Ncube, but later claimed it back forcing her grandson to report the matter to the police.
Royna Nsingo was charged after her grandson Mandlenkosi Ncube (30) from Ntoma village in Filabusi alleged she had stolen his heifer which he had left in the custody of his neighbours while he was in South Africa.
Nsingo had pleaded not guilty before Filabusi magistrate Mzingaye Moyo.
Moyo found Nsingo not guilty and acquitted her before advising the two to take the matter to the Civil Court.
Three State witnesses testified against the woman while she brought in only one defence witness.
One of the State witnesses was a man who claimed to have sold the beast to Ncube.
Nsingo insisted the heifer was lobola for her daughter, who is Ncube's mother.
The prosecutor, Smart Tafireyi, told the court that sometime in 2006, Ncube bought a heifer from a villager in the area.
That year, Ncube moved to South Africa leaving his heifer under a neighbour's care.
When he returned last year, he discovered that his grandmother had taken the cow, which now had a calf. He asked his grandmother to return the beast, but she refused.
Ncube took the matter to the kraal head who ordered the grandmother to give back the beast to her nephew.
Nsingo returned the beast to Ncube, but later claimed it back forcing her grandson to report the matter to the police.
Source - NewsDays
