By A Correspondent

A teenage boy from Tsholotsho who stabbed his cousin who later died because of his injuries has been ordered to perform 600 hours of community service after a postmortem revealed that the deceased died because of lack of proper medical attention at the hospital, The Chronicle reports.

Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Maxwell Takuva according to the publication found the 17-year-old boy guilty of murder with constructive intent and ordered him to perform 600 hours of community service at a clinic in Tsholotsho for his crime.

According to the publication:

The two had connived with another juvenile to steal a donkey drawn cart from a neighbour’s homestead to carry bags of maize to Gwayi Railway Station on June 30 last year.

As they were walking towards the neighbour’s homestead at around 10PM, the accused person started whistling prompting the now deceased to rebuke him for making noise. They started arguing which led to a fight.

The accused person ran away and came back armed with a knife which he used to stab his cousin once on the left side of the chest and he screamed and collapsed. Neighbours came and rushed the injured boy to Sipepa Clinic using the same cart they had wanted to steal.

He was transferred to Tsholotsho District Hospital where he was treated and discharged after a few days.

However, his condition deteriorated and was he readmitted at the same hospital a few days later before being transferred to Mpilo Central Hospital where he was also treated and discharged.

The boy died on August 1 while at his aunt’s place of residence in Bulawayo’s Old Magwegwe suburb. He had just finished bathing, preparing to go back to Tsholotsho when he collapsed and died on the spot.

-StateMedia