Kabulonga Boys pupils narrate chilling attack

FOUR TWIN Palm Secondary school leavers accused of killing a Kabulonga Boys Secondary school pupil Ryan Phiri, last December have taken a plea of not guilty.

And two witnesses have testified that the pupils from the two schools were involved in a fight which resulted in the death of their friend, Ryan.

Elvis Nsokolo of Kabulonga and three juveniles of Malata compound in Kabulonga and ZAF Twin Palm are alleged to have killed 17-year-old Ryan of Barlastone using golf sticks on December 4.

When the matter came up yesterday before judge Sharon Newa, the quartet denied the charge of murder.

Trial commenced in the case and the first witness was Benjamin Chola , a classmate of Ryan.

Chola narrated to the court that on that fateful day, him and seven other classmates who included Ryan went to Malata compound.

He said that they went to Malata with intent to celebrate as one of their classmate had become a father.

He stated that there they met with other classmates at a restaurant. He said they bought beers and as they were ordering food, two grade 10 pupils from their school came running and announced that pupils from Twin Palm had surrounded Malata Compound and were beating Kabulonga Boys pupils.

Chola said he learnt that a day before, there had been a fight between the two schools.

“So we got scared and started running, that’s when we saw Twin Palm Boys in front of us. I went to find out why they were beating every Kabulonga Boys pupil and one of the Twin Palm boys pushed our friend, and he retaliated, that’s how the fight started. Me and two other friends managed to escape,” he said. He said the pupils from the opposite school who were about 60 in number carried stones and sticks.

He also said among the Twin Palam pupils was a tall guy in plain cloths who wore a black coat, who pretended to play the role of a mediator but was actually initiating the fight.

Chola said he later met with Ryan who was bleeding from one side of the ear.

He said they went to the tap where Ryan tried to wash off the blood, but the Twin Palm boys appeared again and that’s how they separated with Ryan.

Asked on whether he saw the people that hit Ryan, Chola said he never saw the culprits nor did Ryan state exacting who hit him.

In cross examination, Chola admitted that they too fought back with stones but emphasized that it was in self-defense especially that they were outnumbered .

He later learnt that evening that Ryan had died.

The second witness, a juvenile also stated that he never witnessed the beating of Ryan.

Judge Newa adjourned the matter to March 10, 2021 for continued trial.