News / Regional
'Cross border donkey thief' on the run
02 Jun 2014 at 07:42hrs | Views
AN alleged Zimbabwean cross-border donkey thief is now on the run after skipping court when Gwanda magistrate Arafat Kozanai was set to make a ruling in stocktheft case.
Nkosiyabo Gumbi (33) last appeared in court when an inspection in loco (on-the-spot inspection) on the disputed donkey was conducted.
Gumbi of Ngoma village under Chief Marupi had pleaded not guilty to stocktheft charges and urged the court to conduct a physical inspection of the donkey to arrive at a fair conclusion, but he did not turn up in court last Thursday forcing the magistrate to issue a warrant for his arrest.
Allegations against Gumbi were that sometime between December 2013 and February 2014, Samuel Pharudi of Semolale village in Silibe Phikwe, Botswana discovered that one of his donkeys had been stolen from the kraal. He tracked its spoor and found it led to the Zimbabwe side of the border.
On April 3, Pharudi visited Ngoma village in the company of a police constable and conducted a search for the donkey.
Pharudi and the cop found the grey female donkey at Trevor Ndlovu's homestead and the latter indicated that he had bought the animal from Gumbi. Pharudi said when they found the donkey, Gumbi's brand mark had been imposed over his and the wounds from the brand mark were still fresh.
Pharudi said he had branded the donkey in 2013 on its neck and on the hind leg. He said the earmarks on the donkey were his and had not been tempered with. In his defence, Gumbi claimed ownership of the donkey saying he had also branded it on the neck and hind leg.
The two gave contradicting ages of the donkey with Pharudi saying it was born in 2013 while Gumbi said it was born in 2011.
This led to the State applying for an inspection in loco of the donkey which is in police custody at Borabora in Tuli, after Gumbi maintained that it belonged to him.
Nkosiyabo Gumbi (33) last appeared in court when an inspection in loco (on-the-spot inspection) on the disputed donkey was conducted.
Gumbi of Ngoma village under Chief Marupi had pleaded not guilty to stocktheft charges and urged the court to conduct a physical inspection of the donkey to arrive at a fair conclusion, but he did not turn up in court last Thursday forcing the magistrate to issue a warrant for his arrest.
Allegations against Gumbi were that sometime between December 2013 and February 2014, Samuel Pharudi of Semolale village in Silibe Phikwe, Botswana discovered that one of his donkeys had been stolen from the kraal. He tracked its spoor and found it led to the Zimbabwe side of the border.
Pharudi and the cop found the grey female donkey at Trevor Ndlovu's homestead and the latter indicated that he had bought the animal from Gumbi. Pharudi said when they found the donkey, Gumbi's brand mark had been imposed over his and the wounds from the brand mark were still fresh.
Pharudi said he had branded the donkey in 2013 on its neck and on the hind leg. He said the earmarks on the donkey were his and had not been tempered with. In his defence, Gumbi claimed ownership of the donkey saying he had also branded it on the neck and hind leg.
The two gave contradicting ages of the donkey with Pharudi saying it was born in 2013 while Gumbi said it was born in 2011.
This led to the State applying for an inspection in loco of the donkey which is in police custody at Borabora in Tuli, after Gumbi maintained that it belonged to him.
Source - Southern Eye
