3 yrs jail for stabbing ‘thief’

By Codelia Mondela

A BULAWAYO man has been sentenced to three years in prison for stabbing a man he accused of attempting to rob him. Mengezi Dube (25) from Pumula South stabbed Mr Wonder Jawa (22) from the same suburb on the stomach after he accused Mr Jawa and his friend of trying to rob him in August this year.

A court heard that Mr Jawa was admitted to the United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) for a week following the attack.

Dube was on Friday convicted of attempted murder by Bulawayo magistrate Mrs Sibongile Msipa-Marondedze.

The magistrate said the court was satisfied that the State had proved its case and Mr Jawa was lucky to be alive.

“The evidence that was given by witnesses in court who were with Dube corroborates Mr Jawa’s evidence that Dube attacked him and fled from the scene.

“The question is if Dube had only slapped Mr Jawa’s friend as he had said why then did he flee from the scene, knowing that he was innocent,” Mrs Msipa-Marondedze said.She sentenced Dube to three years in prison and a year was suspended on condition that he does not within five years commit a similar offence. He will spend an effective two years in jail.

Dube pleaded with the court to be lenient, saying that he was an orphan and a bread winner. “I committed the crime thinking that I was fighting a man who had tried to rob me,” he said.

Mr Jawa said that when he intervened to end an argument between Dube and his friend, he was then stabbed.

He said he was still experiencing stomach pains as a result of the attack.

Prosecuting, Miss Concilia Ncube said Dube stabbed Mr Jawa on August 27 at around midnight after the two had a misunderstanding while drinking beer. The Chronicle