News / Regional
Man goes berserk, torches homestead
04 Nov 2014 at 06:14hrs | Views
A man from Fort Rixon shocked the local community when he allegedly undresseed and burnt down five houses, a Bulawayo magistrate heard yesterday.
Bigboy Ndlovu, 19, of Oakland Farm, Fort Rixon, is said to have damaged property valued at about $28,000.
Ndlovu was yesterday brought before Bulawayo magistrate Sibongile Msipa, facing a charge of malicious damage to property.
He pleaded guilty and was remanded in custody to today for trial.
A repentant Ndlovu pleaded with the magistrate to allow him to go home on free bail but the magistrate would hear none of it.
"May I please be released because my mother is very old and she's in need of constant care," pleaded Ndlovu in tears.
"You should've thought about that before you committed the crime. Come back tomorrow for trial," responded magistrate Msipa.
Prosecuting, Charles Danda told the court that on Friday at about 9PM, Ndlovu rode his bicycle to the residence of the complainant, Miriam Dlamini of Poplus Farm.
He said Ndlovu crossed a railway line on his way to Dlamini's place.
Just after crossing the railway line, the accused left his bicycle and removed his clothes.
Danda said Ndlovu proceeded to Dlamini's kraal and started beating her cattle with a stick.
He said the reason why the accused was behaving strangely was not revealed to the court.
The court heard that Ndlovu proceeded to Dlamini's kitchen huts and took a glowing stick from the fireplace and set alight a five bedroom thatched house and two round huts.
Danda said Ndlovu also set on fire two thatched sheds where wheelbarrows and a scotch cart were kept.
He said some neighbours saw Dlamini's houses on fire. They tried to put it out to no avail.
The court heard that one of the neighbours, Soneni Chikide, teamed up with Nhlalo Mugayo, Clerpaton Dlamini and Emmanuel Tinago to effect a citizen's arrest on Ndlovu.
The value of the damaged property is $28,000 and nothing was recovered.
Bigboy Ndlovu, 19, of Oakland Farm, Fort Rixon, is said to have damaged property valued at about $28,000.
Ndlovu was yesterday brought before Bulawayo magistrate Sibongile Msipa, facing a charge of malicious damage to property.
He pleaded guilty and was remanded in custody to today for trial.
A repentant Ndlovu pleaded with the magistrate to allow him to go home on free bail but the magistrate would hear none of it.
"May I please be released because my mother is very old and she's in need of constant care," pleaded Ndlovu in tears.
"You should've thought about that before you committed the crime. Come back tomorrow for trial," responded magistrate Msipa.
Prosecuting, Charles Danda told the court that on Friday at about 9PM, Ndlovu rode his bicycle to the residence of the complainant, Miriam Dlamini of Poplus Farm.
He said Ndlovu crossed a railway line on his way to Dlamini's place.
Just after crossing the railway line, the accused left his bicycle and removed his clothes.
Danda said Ndlovu proceeded to Dlamini's kraal and started beating her cattle with a stick.
He said the reason why the accused was behaving strangely was not revealed to the court.
The court heard that Ndlovu proceeded to Dlamini's kitchen huts and took a glowing stick from the fireplace and set alight a five bedroom thatched house and two round huts.
Danda said Ndlovu also set on fire two thatched sheds where wheelbarrows and a scotch cart were kept.
He said some neighbours saw Dlamini's houses on fire. They tried to put it out to no avail.
The court heard that one of the neighbours, Soneni Chikide, teamed up with Nhlalo Mugayo, Clerpaton Dlamini and Emmanuel Tinago to effect a citizen's arrest on Ndlovu.
The value of the damaged property is $28,000 and nothing was recovered.
Source - chronicle
