A Gweru man caught red-handed by municipal undertakers digging up a grave has been sentenced to 210 hours of community service.

Samson Mudzingwa, 44, pleaded pleaded guilty to one count of violating a grave when he appeared before Gweru magistrate, Thomas Gurajena on Tuesday.

Mudzingwa will perform 210 hours of community service in one of the Gweru City Council clinics.

Mudzingwa told the court that he did not intend to cause any harm to the remains of the late James Ncube but wanted to take with him an iron bar as instructed by his sangoma.

The court heard that on July 23 at around 12 noon, Mudzingwa was caught red-handed by a council undertaker, Elliot Mapfumbate (complainant) while digging up a grave at Mtapa Cemetery.

He was digging and breaking concrete blocks of a grave where the remains of Ncube are buried.

Mapfumbate then filed a report at Gweru Central Police leading to the arrest of Mudzingwa.

– New Ziana