Harare, (New Ziana) – Two Shurugwi men who murdered
another over a missing snooker token have each been sentenced to 25
years imprisonment by the Midlands Special High Court Circuit.

Sydney Butete from Musara Village, and Tawanda Manjovo from Matinyenya
Village, Chief Nhema, Shurugwi were each convicted by the High Court in
Gweru of killing Learnmore Mudzengi who was 36 at the time of his death.

The National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ) said the incident
occurred on Christmas Day at a bar at Musavezi Business Centre in
Shurugwi.

Mudzengi and his killers were drinking beer and playing pool in Chikara
Bar when a misunderstanding arose between him and Butete over a missing
snooker pool token.

Butete attempted to strike Mudzengi with an empty beer bottle but missed
and the bottle crashed on the wall. Other patrons in the bar restrained
them.

Mudzengi later went outside the bar to relieve himself and met Manjovo
who slapped him on the face with open hands and the former ran away.
Butete, however, caught up with Mudzengi and stabbed him once on the
chest with an okapi knife. He fell unconscious and Butete and Manjovo
ran away from the scene. Mudzengi was rushed to the hospital where he
was pronounced dead upon arrival.

The NPAZ said the same court jailed Colleen Ngwenya of Mzila Village,
Chief Sogwala, Lower Gwreru to 20 years imprisonment for murder.

The court heard that on July 2, 2021 at Ngwenya Mine,  Ranch Farm,
Shamrock, Lower Gweru, Ngwenya had a misunderstanding with the deceased
who was a security guard at the mine.

The deceased had informed Ngwenya that weapons were not allowed at the
mine and seized his knives. He advised Ngwenya to collect the weapons
when he left the mine.

A few hours later, Ngwenya waylaid the deceased and stabbed him on the
buttocks and the back. The deceased was found bleeding, lying on the
ground by a passerby who rushed to find help. When he returned with the
help, he found the deceased already dead.

New Ziana