Harare, (New Ziana) – The Midlands High Court Circuit has made significant progress in clearing its backlog of cases, completing 60 cases by the end of last Month the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ) has reported.
The special high court circuit with two judges stationed in the Midlands capital, Gweru and another in Gokwe was first mooted by the Chief Justice last September and had in the same period, completed 50 cases on its way to clearing just under 140 cases, a 90 percent success rate.
During the current circuit, the court set down 60 cases and managed to clear 24 cases of murder and the same number of culpable homicide while there were 12 acquitals.
“This initiative seeks to expedite the resolution of these cases, with particular attention to the disproportionately high number of murder cases frequently involving artisanal miners and the use of lethal weapons, including knives and machetes,” the NPAZ said in a statement on its X handle.
Meanwhile the circuit dealt with two separate cases of murder from Silobela in which four men were sentenced to 22 years each while another was imprisoned to 15 years.
Ntokozo Ncube from Silobela and three accomplices were sentenced to 22 years imprisonment each by the Gokwe Special Circuit Court for the murder
The quartet struck the now-deceased with fists, booted feet and wooden logs all over the body resulting in his death.
Separately, the same court sentenced Christopher Ncube, also from Silobela to 15 years imprisonment for the murder of a man he struck with fists, booted feet and wooden logs all over the body.
In Gweru, the pair of father and 17-year-old son were sentenced to 45 years for the murder of an 89-year-old man whom they robbed of a torch and knife on June 7 last year.
Trenias Shumba (40) and his son, Tinevimbo from Madhuveko Village, Chief Mazvihwa in Zvishavane pleaded not guilty but were convicted by Justice Munamato Mutevedzi . Shumba was sentenced to 25 years while Tinevimbo was jailed to 20 years.
The duo murdered Siriyoti Taruvinga of Mhepo Village, Chief Mataruse, Mberengwa around 4am after finding the octogenarian and his relative, Nicholas Machando waiting for transport at a bus stop in Chinda Village, Mberengwa around 4am.