Harare (New Ziana) – The High Court has jailed three members of a gang to a total of 96 years after convicting them for murder.
The court, part of a special Midlands High Court circuit set up for Gweru and Gokwe, convicted Tavonga Masenga, Raphael Putse and Kudakwashe
Mapolisa and imposed lengthy jail terms on the trio.
The High Court circuit in the province, with three judges in Gweru, and two in Gokwe, was set up in response to soaring murder crimes in the Midlands, topping all other provinces.
In a post on X, the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ), confirmed the conviction and sentence of the trio for murder.
They were part of a gang that was known for terrorizing Gokwe and Empress Mine residents.
Mapolisa was sentenced to 36 years imprisonment, while Masenga and Putse were each sentenced to 30 years in jail.
According to the NPAZ, Mapolisa on July 15, 2022 was the driver of an Isuzu truck transporting Masenga, Putse and other gang members still at
large when they identified the deceased as one of the people that had assaulted one of their gang members the previous day.
Upon seeing the now deceased, they all jumped out of their motor vehicle and charged towards him and he ran away. They chased and caught up with him.
The gangsters took turns to assault the deceased using stones, wooden logs and machetes before fleeing the scene.
A Police report was made leading to the arrest of Mapolisa, Putse and Masenga.
Meanwhile, in a separate case, the NPAZ said another trio of Kudakwashe Moyana, 23, Misheck Betsere, 19 and Hardlife Muzondo were jailed for a total of 63 years for murder.
They were convicted by the High Court on circuit in Gweru for the murder of a 22-year-old shop attendant at Mazvikanda Shopping Centre at Munyati in Kwekwe.
The case arose from an incident on March 24 this year when the trio walked into the shop being manned by the attendant and requested for beer.
The shop attendant told them that she did not sell beer. They requested for change and she also told them that she did not have the change. This did not go down well with the accused persons who later returned and stabbed the shop attendant with a flick knife twice on the chest before stealing a cash box containing US$130.
The attendant died upon arrival at the hospital. A Police report was made leading to the arrest of the trio.
New Ziana
