Brothers fatally assault farm worker over seedlings

By Nyore Madzianike

Two Chipinge macadamia nuts farmers fatally assaulted an employee whom they accused of stealing and selling macadamia seedlings to neighbouring farmers.

Brothers Vusimuzi (41) and Witness (36) Sithole of Plot 11 New Castle Farm, appeared before Chipinge magistrate Elizabeth Hanzi. They were not asked to plead and were remanded to May 19 for routine remand on $3 000 bail each.

The State led by Mr Thembelani Dhliwayo alleges that on Saturday, the brothers went to their farm to question their employee, only identified as Mapamba, on suspicion that he was stealing and selling their seedlings.

They found Mapamba at a nearby farm, force-marched him to their plot and quizzed him over macadamia nuts seedlings.

Not satisfied with Mapamba’s answers, they started beating him with logs.

Mapamba was bruised on his back and legs and had a deep cut on the forehead.

As he could not walk on his own after the attack, the brothers took him to his farm dwelling where they covered him with a blanket and locked him in from the outside.

On Sunday, around 6.30am, the two brothers returned to their plot where they found Mapamba dead. They called the police voluntarily indicated on how they fatally assaulted Mapamba, the court was told.

Logs they used to assault Mapamba were found on the scene. The Herald