Cross-border cattle rustlers get 200 years behind bars

SIX armed Zambian cross-border cattle rustlers infamously known as Kanjani Wena, who robbed Binga villagers of 63 cattle worth over $12 000 over a period of five years have been sentenced to a combined 200 years in jail.

Four of the rustlers, Davy Kadungule (32), Howard Siankulu (25), Titos Siapungwe (23), Tyson Kalapula (37), received sentences ranging from 12 years to 33 years in prison for nine counts of stocktheft and robbery from Hwange regional magistrate Dambudzo Malunga.

Accomplices Kizito Simwenze and Stanford Mayemuna were sentenced to 24 years and 27 years respectively.

They are already serving 40 years each in prison for other counts they committed.

The six men from Kalilambizi and Siampondo areas in the Sinamsongwe district of Zambia had pleaded not guilty to the charges, but were convicted by Malunga.

One of the complainants told the court that Kadungule bragged that the Zimbabwean police were ineffective and they would come back to rob the villagers of their wives.

Malunga said the six deserved stiff penalties which would send a clear message to like-minded criminals that cross-border crime does not pay.

"This sentence serves as a warning to all our neighbouring countries that should people decide to cross the border and steal, stiff penalties will be imposed," he said.

All of them had three years of their jail terms suspended because they had spent three years in remand prison.

Prosecutor Bheki Tshabalala told the court that between the winter of 2004 and August 2009, the six would cross the Zambezi River armed with an AK 47 into Binga where they would rob villagers of their cattle and drive them across the river into Zambia.

The court heard that during this period, the six crossed into Binga on six occasions raiding cattle from villagers.

In one of the raids they shot and injured a villager before robbing him of 10 beasts.

Police from Hwange and Zambia embarked on a joint operation targeting the cattle rustlers following an outcry by villagers on both sides of the Zambezi River.

On August 12 2009, Kadungule, Siankulu, Siapungwe and Kalapula were arrested in Kalilambizi and Siampondo in Zambia after tip-offs from members of the public and kraal heads in the neighbouring country.

Simwenze and Mayemuna were later arrested after committing similar offences in Kandebwe, Binga.

After their arrest, villagers that had lost their cattle were invited to the Hwange Police Station where they positively identified the six.

Cattle valued at $5 400 and meat worth $30 was recovered.