Epileptic fits patient collapses twice before sentence

after he was attacked by another seizure while in prison. He was eventually sentenced on Thursday.

“The accused is therefore sentenced to six years in prison of which two years are suspended for five years on condition that the accused does not within that period commit an offence of a sexual nature,” said the magistrate while sentencing Ncube.

In mitigation, Ncube had told the court that at some point he contemplated committing suicide at the cemetery after committing the crime.

“I thought of committing suicide after realising that I had committed a terrible sin,” said Ncube.

The complainant, who cannot be named to protect her identity, is aged 40 years.

Prosecuting, Mr Vumizulu Mangena said Ncube attempted to rape the complainant while they were picking scrap metal near Number 2 cemetery.

“On 18 October at around 7.30PM, Ncube and the complainant were together picking scrap metal at the cemetery. He approached the complainant who was sitting down and ordered her to undress as he demanded to have sexual intercourse with her,” said the prosecutor.

The court was told that the woman refused and Ncube threatened to kill her.

Ncube took out a shoe lace from his trousers pocket and attempted to strangle the woman with it.

He also took out a white cloth from his trousers pocket and gagged her mouth after which he forcibly removed her top, the court heard.

Ncube pushed the woman to the ground and mounted her as he unzipped his trousers but she managed to bite his fingers and freed herself before escaping.

She reported the matter to the police leading to Ncube’s arrest.

The woman was examined at St Patricks’ Hospital. -@ ncubeleon

TRANSPORT and Infrastructure Development Minister Engineer Joel Biggie Matiza says the Government has come up with a raft of measures to speed up the completion of a 6km road project under the Beitbridge Redevelopment Programme. The project was started in 2007.

He said the road dualisation, which starts from the border post and cuts across the town up to the Beitbridge-Bulawayo Road, has taken longer than necessary to complete.

The Minister was speaking during a tour of the upgrading of the Beitbridge-Harare Road at Bubi, some 80km north of the border town on Monday.

“We are equally seized with the slow progress on that 6km road project. We have met the contactors and agreed that they cannot delay forever,” said Minister Matiza. “So, we are aware of their challenges and we have mobilised resources to ensure that the project is completed before the end of this year.

“As a Government we cannot continue to fold hands. Let every stakeholder play their roles to speed up the development and upgrading of road infrastructure in the country.”

He said the 6km road construction project would be expedited and incorporated into the Beitbridge–Harare road upgrading. Minister Matiza said Beitbridge was the preface of the country to visitors from South Africa and hence the need to develop its infrastructure in line with its modernisation programme.

He said Zimbabweans should have the zeal and drive to contribute to national development through implementation of projects under set timelines.

“Our President is committed to see the country developing in terms of infrastructure development and he has laid the foundation. This then calls for us as Zimbabweans to move together with that vision and dream of a prosperous Zimbabwe,” said Minister Matiza.

The 6km dualisation project, which is being implemented under the Beitbridge Redevelopment Programme (BRP), has been a cause for concern for both the residents and the local authority.

The project started around 2007 but civil works have been progressing at a snail’s pace.

Some of the works under the BRP include the construction of a total of 16 blocks of flats to house 64 families mainly middle-class civil servants, 250 core houses (for home ownership), 52 F14 houses for civil servants, road dualisation, upgrading of water supply and sewer infrastructure in the town.