FIVE Rusape villagers allegedly ganged up and fatally assaulted a 14-year-old boy accused of stealing a hen from one of their colleague, last week.

Three of them – Jonathan Elias (43), Michael Bhunu (47), of Kasvosve Village and Ambrose Gogo (42), of Mugadza village, under Chief Makoni – have since been arrested in connection with the offence.

The other two – Christopher and Abel Nyatoro – have been declared fugitives from justice.
Police are appealing for information leading to their arrest.

Elias, Bhunu and Gogo on Tuesday appeared before Rusape magistrate Mr Gift Manyika facing murder charges.
The three were not asked to plead.

They were remanded in custody and advised to apply for bail at the High Court.

The lower court does not have jurisdiction over murder cases.

The Nyatoros allegedly fled the village upon realising that they had committed murder.

Prosecutor Miss Theresa Mangwende told the court that the five allegedly caught the victim, who was in Grade 7 at a local school, in possession of Jonathan Elias’s hen in a nearby mountain.

The suspects allegedly took turns to assault the victim with sticks all over the body.

The boy died two days later as a result of the assault.

“On October 11, 2019, at Mupfumi village at about 0500hrs, the deceased, Watson Gogo was alleged to have stolen a hen from Jonathan Elias the previous night. Elias together with Christopher and Abel Nyatoro, who are at large, followed the boy’s footprints from the fowl run into the bush where they allegedly discovered him with the stolen hen.

“They (allegedly) apprehended the boy and took him to Ambrose Gogo’s homestead.

“Michael Bhunu arrived while the boy was at Gogo’s homestead.

“The accused persons, including those on run, assaulted the deceased with sticks all over the body.

“On October 13, 2019 the victim died, before being taken to hospital, as a result of the injuries,” said Miss Mangwende.Manica Post