A SECOND suspect linked to the horrific killing of a Mosi-Oa-Tunya High School student in Victoria Falls two weeks ago, appeared in court yesterday facing a murder charge.
BY Nokuthaba Dlamini
Augustine Ncube (28), of Pumula North in Bulawayo, was arrested last Friday after having been on the run since commission of the crime on the banks of Zambezi River on July 15.
The victim, Praise Mpofu’s body was later found floating in the Zambezi.
Ncube briefly appeared before Victoria Falls resident magistrate Sharon Rosemani and was remanded in custody to August 7.
Ncube told the court that he sustained swollen knees and ribs after being assaulted by the police following his arrest. Ncube’s alleged accomplice, Nhlanganiso Luphahla (35) of Old Pumula, appeared in court last week facing the same charge.
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The State alleges that on July 15, Luphahla and Ncube met Brian Dube (21) and the now deceased Mpofu (16) both students at Mosi-Oa-Tunya High School near the Big Tree at sunset.
It is alleged that Ncube used a log to strike Brian on the back of his head while Luphahla force-marched the two lovebirds to a secluded place where they forced them to undress before severely assaulting them, leading to Dube losing consciousness.
Luphahla then allegedly took Dube to a nearby bush while Ncube remained guarding Mpofu and attempted to rape her before hitting her with the same log on the head until she died.
They then dumped her body in the Zambezi River and tied Dube’s hands with a laptop cable from the back before robbing him of his satchel, laptop and cellphone.