Militant villagers destroy $1,4m property

ODZI villagers who were allegedly incensed by an increase in stocktheft cases in their area recently teamed up and besieged the homestead of one of the suspected rustlers and destroyed property worth $1,4 million.

The taking of the law into their hands saw four of the militant villagers being arrested for attacking a Nyazura family and viciously damaging property.

The villagers who were represented by Mr Taurai Khupe of Khupe Law Chambers were not asked to plead when they appeared before magistrate, Ms Rufaro Mangwiro on Monday.

Ms Mangwiro was expected to give her ruling on their bail application made by Mr Khupe which was opposed by the State led by

Mr Marlon Makamba yesterday (Thursday).

Mr Makamba told the court that the quartet, Forget Makwalaba (31), Charles Muzanechita (22), Amos Mubaiwa (37) and Sengamai Foreman (25) are facing three counts of assault and one count of malicious damage to property.

“The accused persons are from Chinota Village, Odzi, while the complainant, Geshem Nyamunda stays at Village 2A, Nzvimbe, Nyazura. On January 3, the four accused persons and their accomplices who are still at large connived to assault the complainant and damage his property.

“The four and their accomplices teamed up and proceeded to Nyamunda’s homestead and they found the complainant’s wife,

Angela Muzhinyi, Miriam Munemo, Lizzy and Cathrine Nyamunda at home. They asked for Nyamunda’s whereabouts and were told that he was not at home.

“The accused persons went on a rampage and damaged Nyamunda’s Toyota Ipsum, Mazda B2200, Dawoo Opel and a 20-horsepower Changfer diesel engine grinding mill using a hammer, metal bars, wooden handles, logs, pestle and machetes.

“The accused persons also poured brown sugar into the engines and fuel tanks of the three motor vehicles. They smashed 44 windowpanes on the complainant’s five-roomed house. They also deflated the complainant’s scotch cart tyres with unknown sharp objects. The value of the damaged property is $1 458 000,” said Mr Makamba.