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Chief beats, ties subject to tree for 6 hours

by Staff reporter
06 Oct 2017 at 06:37hrs | Views
CHIEF Ndondo of Mbembesi has appeared in court for allegedly assaulting a villager with a knobkerrie and tying him to a tree for six hours after accusing him of failing to attend court meetings.

Mr Dumisani Basil Ndondo (37), who was installed as Chief Ndondo in October last year, two years after the death of his uncle Dr Neville Ndondo, is alleged to have hit Mr Even Ndlovu three times on the thighs with a knobkerrie in April this year.

After assaulting Mr Ndlovu, the chief is alleged to have then ordered Nzengelani Mpengesi (60), an employee in the Ministry of Rural Development, Promotion and Preservation of National Culture and Heritage, to hit Mr Ndlovu 17 times with the same knobkerrie.

A court heard that Chief Ndondo stepped on Mr Ndlovu's head while other villagers held the complainant down as he accused him of disrespecting him in an incident that occurred at the Chief's homestead.

Chief Ndondo and Mpengesi pleaded not guilty to assault and kidnapping before regional magistrate Mr Joseph Mabeza.

Mr Mabeza remanded the duo out of custody to October 11 for continuation of trial.

Mr Ndlovu said he was assaulted by the chief as punishment for demeaning him.

"The Chief said I had disrespected him and he used a knobkerrie to hit me three times while people held me down. Mpengesi assaulted me after he was given the order by him," Mr Ndlovu said.

"After the assault Chief Ndondo gave Mpengesi an order to tie me to a tree with a rope made from goat skin. I was tied facing the tree for six hours," he said.

"My father was summoned to the Chief's homestead and told that angilayekanga mele ayengilaya katsha, (I am wayward and need to be reined in)."

Mr Ndlovu said after the assault he struggled to walk and a cart had to be brought to take him home.

The villager said he had to seek medical attention following the attack.

Prosecuting, Mr Tinashe Dzipe said Chief Ndondo and Mpengesi assaulted Mr Ndlovu on April 22 at the chief's homestead.

Mr Dzipe said Chief Ndondo summoned Mr Ndlovu and accused him of disrespecting him by not attending village meetings.

"He then assaulted him thrice with a knobkerrie on the back and ordered Mpengesi to assault him 17 times," Mr Dzipe said.

"After the assault he was tied to a tree for six hours," he said.

Source - chronicle
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