Nkosentsha Khumalo
A Bulawayo commuter omnibus driver and his conductor have been handed a 5 Year prison sentence each for their shocking and callous attempt to murder.
The Kombi crew assaulted a motorist whom they had had an altercation with, leaving him with permanent disabilities.
The convicted duo, driver, Mgcini Mwale (36) from Pumula North and conductor Lethane Nkosini Sibanda (28) from Parklands, pleaded not guilty to attempted murder charges when they appeared before Bulawayo Regional Magistrate Dambudzo Malunga.
Malunga delivered a stern sentence, imprisoning both men to 5 years each. However, two and a half years of their sentences were suspended on the condition of good behavior for a period of five years.
Prosecutor Naison Chivayo told the court how, in November 2021, kombi driver Mwale was recklessly weaving along Adoer Drive in Killarney when he dangerously blocked motorist Tobias Mudoni and his wife, who were driving a container truck behind them.
The driver continuously blocked Mudoni by meandering in and off the road.
Mwale in the process stopped his kombi in the center of the road to drop off a passenger, prompting Mudoni to stop his vehicle and confront Mwale about his reckless driving.
After exchanging words and complaining of the kombi driver’s poor driving conduct, Mudoni drove off.
Some 500 meters down the road, Mudoni stopped once again to relieve himself. Seemingly fueled by road rage, Mwale caught up to Mudoni and stopped his kombi in an aggressive manner.
As Mudoni approached the kombi driver’s window to address the situation, conductor Sibanda emerged wielding a red fire extinguisher. With a swing of the heavy object, Sibanda struck Mudoni on the back of his head.
He struck him a second time on the forehead and he fell down unconscious sustaining serious head injuries.
Mwale, seizing the opportunity, delivered a forceful kick with his booted foot to Mudoni’s mouth, causing a deep cut and forcing Mudoni’s head to slam against the rear wheel.
Encouraged by the brutality, Sibanda then instructed Mwale to run Mudoni over with his Kombi.
Mwale’s wife, however, reacted very quickly in a short space of time and pulled her husband away from harm’s way to save him and prevent further injuries.
The guilty pair quickly fled the scene, abandoning the leaving helpless Mudoni with his wife.
The incident was reported to the police, who swiftly made a follow up and arrested the perpetrators.
Medical reports presented to the court confirmed that Mudoni now suffers from permanent disabilities and is forced to spend US$60 on medication each month as a result of the vicious attack.
Magistrate Malunga expressed grave concern over the growing danger that kombi drivers pose to society, stating that they have become a significant source of passenger fatalities rather than serving as protectors.
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