Batswana ‘kill’ Zimbo over stolen donkeys
Two Nations Correspondent
GWANDA – Eleven Botswana nationals are wanted by Police in Mat South for allegedly assaulting and killing a local villager over stolen donkeys.
The 11 crossed the border and allegedly teamed up with 23 Zimbabweans and went around John West Village in Gwanda beating up people over the nine stolen donkeys.
The incident happened on Thursday, according to a Police internal memo to the Officer Commanding Beitbridge District.
Mat South Police spokesperson Loveness Mangena referred questions to National Police spokesperson Paul Nyathi who could not be reached for comment.
Justice Ncube of John West Village died a day after the attack at Mashaba Business Centre after he was assaulted with sjamboks. His colleague Godwill Ndlovu is admitted at Gwanda Hospital.
Cross border stock theft cases are so serious that President Mnangagwa set up an inter-ministerial committee to tackle the rampant problem along the Zimbabwe-Botswana border. This followed concerns raised by his counterpart President Mokgweetsi Masisi.
The Police memo says; “On March 31, 2022, 11 Batswana arrived at Chief Warderner’s homestead at Mashaba Village and informed him that they were looking for their nine stolen donkeys suspected to be in John West area.
Prince Nyathi invited Mathias Ncube who is the chairman of Gwanda Anti Stocktheft Association (GASTA) and informed him of the presence of the Batswana and the purpose of their visit. Ncube mobilised Obert Moyo and Celani Ncube among other locals and teamed up with the Batswana to recover the stolen donkeys.
The team left for John West where they recovered three donkeys belonging to a local and two Botswana donkeys.
They then allegedly went on a rampage attacking seven villagers, destroying their homesteads and dispossessing them of their belongings which included cash and cellphones.
“On their way back, men from John West Village grouped up and followed the accused persons and attacked them reclaiming the recovered donkeys and the matter was reported to Nhwali Police.”
Police from Guyu, Tuli and detectives from Gwanda proceeded to Mashaba were they got a list of accused persons.
The inter-ministerial anti-stock theft committee comprises of Ministers Kazembe Kazembe (Home Affairs), Oppah Muchinguri (Defence), July Moyo (Local Government) , Mangaliso Ndlovu (Environment), Mthuli Ncube (Finance), and Anxious Masuka (Agriculture)
Last month they visited Mlambaphele Border Post in Gwanda to interact with the affected communities.
Areas like Tshanyawugwe, Nhwali, Mlambaphele, Guyu, Manama, Mankonkoni, Rustlers Gorge, John Dip and Ngoma are notorious for being hideouts for stock thieves.https://twonations.co.zw/
