Cattle Thief Ordered To Go Under Mental Evaluation Following Bizzare Statements In Court
In a dramatic turn of events at the Concession Magistrates Court on Saturday, a suspected stock thief was ordered to undergo a medical examination after making bizarre statements in court.
Versus Courage Mapuka (27) of Manyuchi village, Jumbo mine is facing charges of stock theft and had been remanded in custody until March 27.
According to prosecutor Precious Khanye, on March 17, Mapuka was apprehended by Panashe Muringazuva (18) whilst in the act of stealing cattle from his kraal.
Mapuka attempted to flee from the scene but was pursued by Muringazuva who eventually caught up with him. After being apprehended, Mapuka made a shocking admission that he had stolen two cattle with the help of four other suspects who are yet to be apprehended.
The admission by Mapuka led to the recovery of the stolen cattle, and he was subsequently charged with stock theft.
However, during his court appearance, Mapuka made some bizarre statements that prompted the presiding magistrate, Joshua Nembaware, to order a mental health evaluation to be carried out on the suspect.
The case has been postponed until the results of the medical examination are made available to the court, Bulawayo 24 reports.
Meanwhile, a woman who was claiming mental instability has been sentenced to four terms of life imprisonment for the gruesome murder of her four minor children in 2020.
Marizani had killed her children by slitting their throats, claiming that she committed the act out of love, fearing that her children would suffer abuse and mistreatment at the hands of their stepmother.
During the trial, Marizani admitted to encouraging her children to consume rat poison before instructing them to sleep. She later slit their throats with a knife, hoping to spare them from a life of misery without her.