BY STAFF REPORTER
A Victoria Falls villager heavily assaulted his neighbour with a log for calling his wife to sell him tradition beer.
Gerald Sibanda (29) from Mazhanga Village under Chief Shana left Enock Mubita with a bruised face after the vicious attack.
Sibanda appeared before Victoria Falls resident magistrate Godswill Mavenge on Monday charged with assaulting Mubita.
He pleaded not guilty to the offence, prompting Mavenge to open a full trial which has been set for September 22.
Prosecutor Portia Moyo said on August 9 and at around 5PM, Mubita went to Victor Sibanda’s homestead, who is the accused’s uncle, to buy homemade beer.
On arrival, he called Tambudzai Sibanda’s name who is the accused’s wife.
Sibanda stormed out of his bedroom armed with a log and started assaulting Mubita on the face.
A medical report signed by Victoria Falls district medical officer Fungai Musinami on August 11 says Mubita sustained “sutured laceration on the upper lip with swelling, injury on the upper incisors and wound on the nose.”
In denying the charges levelled against him, Sibanda said he assaulted his neighbour for calling his wife’s name and for refusing to leave his uncle’s homestead as he was drunk.
“We then got into a fight and the accused assaulted me as well,” Sibanda told the court.
“I lost my temper when he continuously called my wife who I was with in the house to come outside.
“I had tried to chase him away and he kept coming back to provoke my emotions and that’s when we ended up getting violent.”
Mubita challenged Sibanda’s version of events saying he was not drunk when he was attacked.
He said the fact that his attacker did not sustain any injuries or seek treatment after the incident that he was lying that they were involved in a fight.
Mubita said he also did not refuse to leave the homestead and insisted that his only intention was to buy beer that Sibanda’s wife was selling.
Sibanda is out of custody.