Harare, (New Ziana) – Three brothers from Gweru, the Midlands province, have each been sentenced to 30 years imprisonment for murdering a drinking mate who had referred to them as brothers-in-law.
Zamani Ndlovu, Mehluli Ndlovu and Mpilwenzima Ndlovu who were aged 45, 36 and 33 respectively at the time they committed the murder, were convicted of murder by the special High Court Circuit in Gweru.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe, the Ndlovu brothers attacked the victim, who was 31 years, on June 4 last year while they were drinking beer at a local shop.
The victim had referred to the brothers as his brothers-in-law since one of them had a child with his sister.
This did not go down well with the Ndlovu brothers who protested before assaulting the deceased with fists all over the body. They also struck him with a brick and stabbed him with a knife on the thigh leading to his death.
The three brothers were arrested by the police with help from members of the public. Separately the same court jailed Crucial Sibanda from Zhombe for an effective 18 years for murdering a man who had asked him to clear the driveway of a house where they were both parked in Mbizvo in Kwekwe, the Midlands province.
The man who was 23 at the time of the murder whilst his victim was 43, was parked at the Mbizvo house enjoying some quality time with his girlfriend inside on November 28, 2020, while his victim was drinking beer at the same premises.
When the deceased wanted to leave, he noticed that the man’s motor vehicle was blocking the drive way and asked him to remove it but he refused, resulting in an altercation.
The deceased slapped Sibanda twice on the cheek and walked away. Sibanda armed himself with a Columbia knife and followed the deceased outside and stabbed him several times on the back, chest and thighs before driving away in his motor vehicle. Efforts to restrain him were fruitless and a police report was made leading to his arrest.
The NPAZ is on record encouraging members of the public to desist from violence and resolve their disputes amicably or seek third party mediation.
In another case, Takudzwa Mugariri (27) of Marozva Village, Chief Banga, Shurugwi in the same province was also sentenced to 18 years for killing his 94-year-old grandmother after accusing her of witchcraft.
The NPAZ said the incident happened on February 3 last year when Mugariri went to the nonagenarian’s homestead and accused her of placing a curse on him and his siblings.
He accused her of being responsible for their suffering, misfortune and poverty after which he burned her clothes and traditional medicines before striking her with a wooden log several times on the head, face, buttocks and back, leading to her death.
New Ziana
