The Chronicle

MIDLANDS, Wednesday, September 9, 1992 — For demanding 10 head of cattle and $40 before the burial of a relative four lower Gweru men were each sentenced to 12 months in prison yesterday.

Vuso Ncube, Willie, Caiphas and Mqando Moyo all pleaded not guilty to extortion before Ms Ollyn Kanyenze, but were convicted. All four had four months wholly suspended for five years.

Vuso had a further eight months suspended for five years, meaning that he will not serve any jail term. The other three each had five months wholly suspended for five years, resulting in them being jailed for three months each.

Mr Blessing Kundlande, for the State, told the court that on August 16 this year, the four dumped the body of their relative, Mr Solo Ncube, at the home of one Freddy Bingo Siwela who allegedly had killed him.

They demanded 10 herd of cattle and $40 before his burial. They were given 6 head of cattle and $40 after which they agreed to bury Mr Ncube.

Mr Kanyenze ordered the four to hand back the six cattle by October 30 this year. Siwela is in custody awaiting trial for allegedly murdering Mr Ncube on April 15 this year.

Several similar cases have been brought before the courts countrywide and magistrates have time and again called on families to stop the practice which is now commonly referred to as “corpse dumping”.

The pleas have, however, fallen on deaf as more and more families continue to demand cattle and outrageous amounts of money in cases where the deceased’s relatives were either murdered or died while staying with a man who had not paid or was still paying lobola.