An Esigodini man has been sentenced to five years in prison for attempted murder after taking part in a brutal 2022 ambush in which a man was hacked with axes and knives and left for dead in a bush.
The attack left the victim permanently disabled after both of his lower legs had to be amputated.
Thandazani Mpofu, 30, was convicted of attempted murder by the Gwanda Magistrates' Court and sentenced to an effective five-year prison term.
The court heard that on November 8, 2022, at Portbury Business Centre, Mpofu and two accomplices attacked 36-year-old Vusani Nhliziyo as he walked home.
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Prosecutors said the group assaulted Nhliziyo with axes, knobkerries and a hammer. Mpofu then allegedly used a knife to sever the victim's left foot before stabbing him several times.
The attackers allegedly dumped Nhliziyo in nearby bushland, believing he would die from his injuries.
However, Nhliziyo survived the attack, although both of his lower legs were later amputated because of the severity of his injuries, leaving him permanently disabled.
Mpofu's five-year prison sentence takes effect from the date of his conviction.
The court also heard that one of his co-accused, Limukani Privilege Sibindi, was convicted over the same attack in 2025 and also received an effective five-year prison sentence.
A third suspect, Anthen Ndlovu, remains at large.
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