Injiva's wife steals neighbour's goat to feed starving family

A STARVING 25-year-old Bulilima woman who broke into her neighbour's pen at midnight and stole a goat in a bid to get food for her two children has appeared in court.

Prisca Chigambura of Tokwana area told the court that her South Africa-based husband deserted her together with her two children.

She said her 45-year-old husband, Yopsen Ncube, had stopped sending them groceries.

Chigambura said she was fed up of watching her two children aged four years and 16 months starve while their father did nothing to support them.

She said her youngest child was recently hospitalised for malnutrition.

She said her husband last sent them groceries in May after she had told some family members to engage him.

"I have been relying on small food handouts which I get from relatives and church members because my husband is not taking responsibility of his family. We last got food from him in May after his relatives forced him to send us groceries but they only lasted a week.

"His last visit was in June but he only brought food which lasted for two days which he consumed with us and when he left there was nothing left," said Chigambura.

Chigambura said her husband was now avoiding her calls.

Prosecuting, Mr Clemence Shawarira said on 19 November, the complainant, Mr Mthabisi Sibanda heard noise from his goat's pen around 12 midnight.

He proceeded to investigate and discovered that one of his goats was missing.

"The complainant spotted some foot prints around the pen and they led him to a homestead in the area. The complainant found Chigambura negotiating with her relative who stays at the homestead in a bid to sell the goat," said Mr Shawarira.

He confronted his neighbour who pointed out that the goat was a stray one.
Chigambura later confessed to having driven the goat out of the complainant's pen in the company of her niece, Simphiwe Tshuma in a bid to sell it to her relative.

Chigambura who pleaded with the court told Plumtree magistrate, Mr Gideon Ruvetsa that she wanted to sell the goat in order to raise money to buy food for her two children.

The value of the stolen goat is $50.
Mr Ruvetsa sentenced her to nine months in prison, which three months were suspended for five years on condition that she does not commit an offence of the same nature.

The remaining six months were further suspended on condition that she performs 210 hours of community service at Tokwana Secondary School.