A BULAWAYO kombi crew has been sentenced to nine months in jail for kidnapping a 23-year-old woman after accusing her of stealing a mobile phone.
Ntandoyenkosi Ndlovu (35) and Proud Mpofu (24) appeared before Bulawayo regional magistrate Dambudzo Malunga on Tuesday facing a charge of kidnapping.
“You have been found guilty as charged,” Malunga ruled.
“You are sentenced to nine months imprisonment. One month is suspended because you are first time offenders, another one is suspended because it might destroy your families since you are breadwinners and another one is suspended because the complainant did not (suffer) any injuries.”
Malunga said Ndlovu and Mpofu’s actions were barbaric.
“The two of you acted wrongly. You blamed the young lady Nokunqoba Ngwane (23) of stealing your phone and you put her in your omnibus and detained her for one hour 30 minutes, instead of taking her to the police to get the issue solved when you were just 100 metres from the police station,” the magistrate said.
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Malunga said Ndlovu and Mpofu committed a serious crime as they kidnapped a vulnerable woman, threatened and traumatised her and never apologised to her.
“Ngwane is just 23 years. By kidnapping her, you inflicted trauma on the lady and during court, you never apologised to Ngwane for your actions,” the magistrate said.
The court was told that on November 18, Ndlovu and his accomplice forced Ngwane into their kombi after accusing her of stealing a cellphone.
They drove to and from Woodville without Ngwane’s consent.
When Ngwane tried to escape, Mpofu pushed her back inside and hit her with the door of the commuter omnibus.