News / Regional
Villagers fined $400 for ill-treating a donkey
13 Jul 2014 at 06:59hrs | Views
FOUR villagers from Bulilima District have been fined $100 each for ill-treating a donkey.
Dzawanda Dube (58), Tjengedzani Moyo (49), Jeffrey Ndlovu (55) and Tom Dube (43) penned a donkey for seven days and denied the animal access to food and water. The four men who are village police officers under Headman Mazwaligwe found Esther Ndebele's donkey after it had strayed into fields.
As officers manning the area they caught the donkey and penned it at Headman Mazwaligwe's kraal. The complainant looked for her donkey which was missing but she could not locate it. She was informed after seven days that her donkey was penned at the headman's kraal by the four men.
She reported the matter to the police leading to their arrest.
The village officers appeared before Plumtree magistrate Mr Livard Philemon facing charges of showing cruelty to an animal.
"You were very cruel to the donkey by keeping it locked up for seven days without any food or water. Imagine if you were locked up for just two days without food or water, how would you have survived.
"Now you can imagine what you made the donkey go through by keeping it penned for a week. Animals also need food and water to survive just like human beings," said Mr Philemon.
He ordered each one of them to pay a $100 fine or spend 30 days in prison in case of default. The four men explained to the court that they were carrying out their duties as village police officers. Prosecuting, Mr Medica Tshuma said the four men locked up the animal on 26 May and let it loose on 3 June.
"The four men penned the donkey after it had strayed into fields while waiting for the complainant to pay a certain fee. It is alleged that it is a custom for people in Masendu area that whenever livestock stray into fields it is penned at the headman's kraal until the owner pays a stipulated fine.
"The complainant was, however, not informed that her donkey had been penned. She was then informed by the headman that her donkey was penned in his kraal for seven days and she went to inquire," said Mr Tshuma.
Dzawanda Dube (58), Tjengedzani Moyo (49), Jeffrey Ndlovu (55) and Tom Dube (43) penned a donkey for seven days and denied the animal access to food and water. The four men who are village police officers under Headman Mazwaligwe found Esther Ndebele's donkey after it had strayed into fields.
As officers manning the area they caught the donkey and penned it at Headman Mazwaligwe's kraal. The complainant looked for her donkey which was missing but she could not locate it. She was informed after seven days that her donkey was penned at the headman's kraal by the four men.
She reported the matter to the police leading to their arrest.
The village officers appeared before Plumtree magistrate Mr Livard Philemon facing charges of showing cruelty to an animal.
"Now you can imagine what you made the donkey go through by keeping it penned for a week. Animals also need food and water to survive just like human beings," said Mr Philemon.
He ordered each one of them to pay a $100 fine or spend 30 days in prison in case of default. The four men explained to the court that they were carrying out their duties as village police officers. Prosecuting, Mr Medica Tshuma said the four men locked up the animal on 26 May and let it loose on 3 June.
"The four men penned the donkey after it had strayed into fields while waiting for the complainant to pay a certain fee. It is alleged that it is a custom for people in Masendu area that whenever livestock stray into fields it is penned at the headman's kraal until the owner pays a stipulated fine.
"The complainant was, however, not informed that her donkey had been penned. She was then informed by the headman that her donkey was penned in his kraal for seven days and she went to inquire," said Mr Tshuma.
Source - Sunday Mail
