Four church attack group remanded in custody

FOUR Mbembesi men who stormed into an apostolic church and attacked its members, injuring six during a service on Easter Sunday have appeared in court.

Lulekani Hadebe (24), Mbongeni Khuboni (21), Nkosikhona Mdluli (23) and Mzwamadoda Mafohla (21) all from Mbethe village stormed Apostolic Faith and Acts Church in Mbembesi, pelted congregants with stones and attacked them with knobkerries.

The quartet is said to have been in the company of six accomplices, who are still at large.

They pleaded guilty to public violence before Bulawayo magistrate Mr Franklin Mkhwananzi, who remanded them in custody to next week Monday.

The court heard that the injured, Messrs Mluleki Ncube, David Ngulube, Vusi Nqadini, Blessmore Ndzombane, Lungile Mjoli and Daweti Nzawupeli, were taken to United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) for treatment.

The attackers, who were suspected to be drunk, allegedly damaged a windscreen for a car belonging to one of the congregants.

Prosecuting, Mr Mclean Ndlovu said the attackers pounced on the church at around 1AM on Sunday during an Easter service.

"On April 1 at around 1AM, the complainants were part of a congregation gathered at an Apostolic Faith and Acts church service in Mbethe village. The four accused persons, together with six others, who are still at large, proceeded to the church armed with stones and knobkerries," he said.

The prosecutor said the attackers approached members of the church who were near the entrance and attacked them.

Church proceedings were stopped as congregants fled. The attackers ran away after a congregant fired a pellet gun to scare them away.

Mr Ndlovu said the windscreen that was damaged is worth $500.