Andile Tshuma, Court Reporter
A MAN from Pumula South suburb in Bulawayo who attacked and robbed a Sunday News reporter on his way from work has been sentenced to 15 months in jail.
Handsome Zulu appeared before Western Commonage magistrate Mr Stephen Ndhlovu facing robbery charges.
He pleaded not guilty but was convicted due to overwhelming evidence.
Zulu robbed Dumisani Nsingo of a Samsung cellphone, $30 and a paper bag with bread and chips.
Yesterday, he told the court that he had been given the cell phone by a friend Tinashe Siziba who asked him to sell it.
“I didn’t steal the cell phone, Tinashe gave it to me asking me to sell it on his behalf,” said Zulu in his defence.
The court heard that Siziba was recently convicted of murder and is serving a jail term.
Prosecuting, Ms Magret Takawira said Zulu attacked Nsingo on April 16 at around 10PM.
“The complainant disembarked from a taxi near Godlwayo Primary School. The accused person approached from the opposite direction and hit him with a stone on the head,” said the prosecutor.
“He fell unconscious. The accused took his cellphone, wallet that contained cash and a national identity card.”
She said Nsingo regained consciousness and went to report the matter at Pumula police station.
“Police arrested one Xolani Dube who was found in possession of the stolen phone on June 19. During interrogation, Dube told the police that he had bought the cellphone from Zulu leading to his arrest on August 11,” said Ms Takawira.
In a statement, Nsingo said he regained consciousness at around 1AM on the following day after the attack and sought assistance at a house close by.
“The man I found at that house accompanied me to the police station. I fell unconscious again when I got there. I regained consciousness at the hospital. The police called me on June 20 asking me to go to the station to identify my phone,” read the statement.
@andile_tshuma.