The Chronicle

BULAWAYO, Tuesday, April 28, 1992 — A griefstricken peasant in the trial of a ranch manager who is alleged to have impounded 20 head of cattle from communal farmers — which had strayed into the ranch and left them to die — broke down and wept as he recounted to the court how he lost four of his six head of cattle at the hands of the manager.

Mr Hlabani Ncube, who is in his 60s, was overcome with his emotions as he stood in the witness stand while the defence counsel for Jack Alexander Macllelan, Mr Nabel Lang, cross examined him.

“I do not know why you are speaking to me. I want to speak to Macllelan who is the person responsible for the death and disappearance of my cattle,” he told Mr Lang.

The trial magistrate, Mr Wilbert Mapombere, explained to Mr Ncube that Mr Lang was asking the questions on behalf of Macllelan.

Mr Ncube could, however, not get himself to say more and he wept uncontrollably.

The magistrate ordered the court adjourned and the trial resumed about 10 minutes later after Mr Ncube had regained composure.

Mr Ncube told the court that sometime in November 1990, four of his cattle went missing and he later located them in December the same year at Zendele Ranch where they were being held by the management.

He said he spoke to Macllelan who ordered him to bring some money to pay for the cattle. However, when he came back to the ranch, he was told two of the animals had died while the other two had been driven off to some unknown place.