The ManicaPost
Tendai Gukutikwa
Weekender Correspondent
FOUR Chimanimani men ganged up to assault a fellow villager and left him for dead over a land dispute.
This emerged when Kingston Gwite was seeking a protection order against his two nephews and their accomplices.
Kingston said he spent weeks in hospital after he had been brutally attacked by his nephews Leonard Gwite and Tambudzai Gwite, as well as Taurai Mudhosi and Nyaradzo Zhawara.
The quartet is alleged to have attacked Kingston with machetes and axes.
He said despite being out on bail over the assault case, the four continue to verbally and physically abuse him on a daily basis.
“They attempted to murder me and for weeks I was admitted in hospital. They do not want to surrender the land I allowed them to use for their church services in 2017.
“My nephews approached me and begged me so that l could allow them to use part of my farm for their church services. I gave them the nod.
“Now I want to use my land but they no longer want to give it back to me. They are now claiming that the piece of land never belonged to me in the first place,” said Kingston.
He said he now avoids bumping into the four and their church’s members to evade further attacks.
In his defence, Leonard denied ever getting a piece of land from his uncle. He said they were given permission to use the land in question by the village head.
Taurai went on to produce a letter from the village head confirming that he had granted them permission to use the land.
The quartet, however, did not deny assaulting and insulting Kingston. They argued that they were acting in self-defence as Kingston was being aggressive.
“We have a matter pending before the criminal court but we did not use dangerous objects to assault him. In fact, I was not part of the group that assaulted him, yet he claims that I was among his assailants,” claimed Nyaradzo.
Presiding magistrate, Ms Notebulgar Muchineripi granted the protection order in Kingston’s favour.
She ordered them not to assault, insult, harass or threaten his life as they risk imprisonment if they do so.
Ms Muchineripi also advised Kingston to follow the proper channels to reclaim his land.
