Man found with bullet to ward off evil spirits walks free

By Brenda Zinyuke

A man from Bulawayo who was found with a bullet, told a court it was a charm to ward off evil spirits.

Godfrey Ndlovu (26) of Cowdray Park suburb was sentenced to a wholly suspended three months in prison after he was found in possession of ammunition.

He is a general worker at Consortium Trust in the same suburb.

Ndlovu pleaded guilty to a charge of being found in possession of ammunition without a licence when he appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Mr Lizwe Jamela.

He was sentenced to a wholly suspended three months in prison for five years on condition that he does not commit a similar offence.

Ndlovu told the court that he was given the bullet by his grandmother, Ms Glady’s Maseko (85) as protection from evil spirits. Ms Maseko tendered an affidavit to the court in which she concurred with Ndlovu.

She further stated that the bullet had been recovered from her late son who was a war veteran’s clothes.

Prosecuting, Mr Denmark Chihombe said on Friday last week, police received information that Ndlovu was in possession of a live round of ammunition at his place of residence. “On the same day, the police conducted a search at the house leading to the recovery of 1×7,62mm live round of ammunition on top of a chair covered with some books,” he said.

Ndlovu failed to produce a licence permitting him to possess the bullet and this led to his arrest. The Chronicle