Four men who were part of a machete gang that attacked and killed a security guard at the Arda Balu Mining Compound along Victoria Falls road are set to be sentenced on Friday.
The four—Laud Ngulube, Tobias Dube, Nkosilathi Ncube, and Givemore Ngwenya—were found guilty by Bulawayo High Court Judge Justice David Mangota on charges of murder and attempted murder.
They were convicted of murdering 53-year-old Ernest Dube and attempting to murder 20-year-old Ashley Manyemba, whom they assaulted and left for dead.
According to the State, the incident occurred when the four were part of an eight-member machete gang that attacked the Arda Balu Mining Compound.
State prosecutor Kudakwashe Jaravaza told the court that on August 20, 2020, Dube, who worked as a security guard for Wellock Security Company, was on duty with Manyemba when they were ambushed.
“On August 20, 2020, at around 6 PM, Dube and Manyemba started their guard duties at the main gate of Arda Balu Estate in Umguza. Manyemba went home for supper, leaving Dube alone at the gate,” Jaravaza said.
“At around 8:30 PM, as Manyemba was walking along an unnamed road, he encountered three men coming from the direction of the Arda Balu Estate main gate. They attacked him and left him for dead.
“Manyemba later regained consciousness and realized he was bleeding from the head. He returned home and informed his supervisor, Joseph Chimucheka, who arranged for a neighbor to provide first aid. Chimucheka then went to the main gate to check on Dube. When he arrived, he found Dube lying lifeless in a pool of blood inside the guard room.”
Jaravaza added that Chimucheka reported the incident to the police at ZRP Arda Balu Base. Upon investigation, officers found that a .303 service rifle and a magazine with 10 rounds were missing. Additionally, the logbook used to record vehicles entering the estate had been torn apart.
“On August 21, 2020, at around 8 AM, Tobias Dube was apprehended by members of the public at Joker Mine, Umguza, following an altercation. At approximately 11 AM, police received a tip-off about three men armed with machetes at Plot Number 6 Hellenvale, Umguza,” Jaravaza said.
“Police officers acted on the information and found that members of the Neighborhood Watch Committee had already detained Laud Ngulube and Givemore Ngwenya. With the help of a police dog, officers joined in the pursuit of Nkosilathi Ncube, who was eventually apprehended at Mguni Farm, Umguza.”
