AN 18-year-old man from Tsholotsho has been slapped with 44-month jail term after being convicted of four counts of assault and two of malicious damage to property.
Brendon Tshanda Sibanda appeared before a Tsholotsho magistrate who suspended eight months of his sentence for five years on condition of good behaviour.
A further eight months were suspended on condition he pays a US$200 fine for the other two counts.
In addition, Sibanda was also sentenced to eight months in jail of which four months were suspended for five years and the remaining four months were suspended on condition he pays restitution.
In a statement this week, the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe said on June 2 this year, two villagers got into a shop at Mbalibali shopping centre and left their bicycles outside the shop.
When they came out of the shop, they saw one Fana Fana pushing the bicycles towards Sibanda, who was sitting near a borehole.
The prosecution said the two tried to stop Fana Fana to no avail.
Instead, Fana Fana told them that he had been instructed to take the bicycles to Sibanda.
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After Sibanda took possession of the bicycles, one of the villagers confronted him and an altercation arose between the two.
Sibanda struck the villager in the face before drawing a knife from his pocket and chasing him.
Another villager tried to restrain Sibanda, but he was also threatened with the knife and he ran away.
The court heard that Sibanda slashed bicycle tyres with his knife. In another incident, Sibanda assaulted another villager whom he accused of stealing his beer the previous night.
He stabbed him twice on the left thigh.
A police report was made, leading to Sibanda’s arrest.