10 gang members nabbed for murder

TEN gang members have been arrested for allegedly fatally assaulting a Filabusi man with machetes, axes, spears and iron bars.

The ten, among others who are still at large, allegedly drove from Mbalabala in six vehicles to Khayanyama business centre in Filabusi, Insiza District, Matabeleland South where they committed the fatal assault.

The ten appeared in groups of five on different dates before Filabusi magistrate Mr Abednico Ndebele.

The first group comprising Jericho Moyo (32), Innocent Ndlovu (30), Steven Sibanda (25) Thulani Ncube/Zuza (25) and Naison Tshuma appeared in court on February 19.

The second group comprising Aorta Madodana Ndlovu (30), Handsome Moyo (28), Ndodana Mlilo (22), Tawanda Muridzo (21) and Anele Nkiwane (19) appeared in court on February 22.

They were not asked to plead when they appeared and remanded in custody to March 8.

The accused have since been moved to Gwanda where their case will continue.

Prosecuting the second group, Mr Shepherd Moyo said the five men and their undisclosed number of accomplices attacked the now deceased Gilbert Mpunzi on February 15.

"On 15 February at around 5PM the five accused persons together with Thulani Ncube, Steven Sibanda, Naison Tshuma, Innocent Ndlovu and Jericho Moyo who are already on remand and as well as Mthulisi, Juba, Costera, Nsimbi, Thulani, Mikel and many others who are still at large connived to attack the now deceased Gilbert Mpunzi who was in the company of his brother Farai Mpunzi and friend Jaisen Mhlanga at Khayanyama Business Centre in Filabusi.

"The accused persons travelled from Mbalabala to Khayanyama business centre aboard six motor vehicles. All the accused persons were armed with axes, spears, iron bars and machetes," he said.

Mr Moyo said when the gang reached near Khayanyama Business centre, they disembarked from the vehicles and proceeded on foot, leaving the cars and drivers behind.

He said the gang found Mpunzi seated in a vehicle that was parked at the business centre in the company of his brother Farai and friend Jaison Mhlanga.

Mr Moyo said upon seeing the gang approaching armed with the mentioned weapons, the Mpunzi brothers and Mhlanga disembarked from their vehicle and tried to flee.

"The accused persons followed them in hot pursuit and managed to catch up with the now deceased behind the shops and started assaulting him by axing him once on the back of the head, once on both legs close to the knees, once on the lower limbs using machetes and axes," he said.

"They also stabbed him once in the right side of the chest and once in the back of his right shoulder using spears.

"The accused persons fled from the scene leaving the deceased lying on the ground unconscious."

Mr Moyo said Farai and Mhlanga returned and found the deceased lying at the scene of the attack before rushing him to Filabusi District Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

He said investigations by the police led to the arrest of Muridzo and Nkiwane while Ndlovu, Moyo and Mlilo surrendered themselves at Filabusi Police Station on February 21.

This was after the police had already arrested Jericho Moyo while Innocent Ndlovu, Steven Sibanda, Thulani Ncube/Zuza and Naison Tshuma surrendered themselves at the Bulawayo Central Police Station on February 17.