Tribal Gang Killers Given 30 Year Sentence

Tribal Gang Killers Given 30 Year Sentence
Published: 2016 July 15 06:33:44 (5625 Views)
Two men from Gokwe were sentenced to 30 years in prison for killing a fellow gold panner in a tribal motivated fight in Shangani.

Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Francis Bere convicted McIntosh Nhawu (29) and Tapiwa Liberty Maupa (33), both from Zhomba area, of murder with actual intent.

The pair was part of a gang that crushed Mandlenkosi Sibanda’s head with a concrete block weighing 29kg in 2013.

Justice Bere, in his judgment, said although Nhawu and Maupa did not directly attack Sibanda (27), they were accomplices by virtue of being part of the gang that executed the criminal enterprise.

The other three suspects who were allegedly linked to the gang, Admire Makoni (23) of Chitungwiza, Brighton Munyiri (27) and Peter Manyuchi (18) both of Buhera, were discharged at the close of the State case after Justice Bere concluded that the State had failed to prove a prima facie case against the trio and acquitted them.

Prosecuting, Whisper Mabhaudi said on February 25, 2013, shortly after 10PM at Farai Munashe Bottle store, Tafadzwa Solo confronted Mlamuleli Tshuma and allegedly threatened him in Shona, saying, “nhasi maNdevere ese ndoda kumarova (today I want to assault all Ndebele speaking people).”

The long standing dispute emanated from a feud between Shona and Ndebele gold panners over the control of gold fields in Shangani. Mabhaudi said Tshuma stood up and headed towards the exit and blocked the door. He said Solo threw an empty bottle of beer at Tshuma and hit him on the forehead.

Mabhaudi said the accused persons grouped together and hatched a plan to assault the Ndebeles in the area. They chased Sibanda and caught up with him before assaulting him using stones and concrete blocks and fled from the scene leaving the body lying in a pool of blood.

The owner of the bottle store, Sikhanyisiwe Nkomo, told the court that she woke up after hearing noise which emanated from outside her house. “I woke up and peeped through the window and saw about six men throwing stones at Sibanda. They were shouting in Shona saying, ‘let us kill these Ndebeles.’ After the mob had dispersed, I went to the scene and found Sibanda lying motionless and called the police,” she said.

According to a postmortem report, the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head, homicide and subarachnoid haemorrhage. Both accused persons denied the charge, arguing that they were only innocent bystanders who witnessed the incident but did not participate in the commission of the crime.

Maupa and Nhawu though their lawyers, Ms Tshimumoyo Ndlovu and Mr Solomon Mguni, pleaded for mercy, saying they were breadwinners looking after minor children.



- Chronicle
Tags: gold, murder, tribe, gang, ,
 0

You May Like These Videos

Comments

| Comment With Facebook Submit

There are no comments.

Big Reads

Pictures show fuel tankers offloading fuel in the bush

by Moses Zhou | 2019 August 13 07:53:37

Schoolgirl drops out after continuous 'sexual abuse' by teacher

by Staff Reporter | 2019 August 13 07:42:33

Bulawayo prostitutes dollarise

by Staff Reporter | 2018 December 01 00:43:29

DRAMA as mourners fight over deceased loan sharks' loot

by B-Metro | 2018 November 30 23:35:19

'Tsvangirai's ex' on police wanted list

by B-Metro | 2018 October 19 12:39:23

Dumped man glasses wife's face with broken beer bottle

by Staff Writer | 2018 October 19 12:32:05

Zimbabwe prostitutes hike prices

by Zimbabwe prostitutes hike prices | 2018 October 18 17:13:08

Pastor shocks female congregant with new panties

by Metro Writer | 2017 March 28 10:50:44

Harare man steals 10kg mealie meal from neighbour

by Court Reporter | 2017 March 28 07:56:29

Four company directors die in Vumba Mountain plane crash

by Staff Writer | 2017 March 28 07:38:59

Man with 'deformed' body bashes parents

by Staff Writer | 2017 March 24 09:48:46

Mugabe Knows Nothing About The Zimbabwe Constitution: MP

by Staff Reporter | 2016 October 01 08:12:02

Troubled Harare Giants Dynamos Falls Into Another Deep Crisis

by Own Correspondent | 2016 October 01 07:49:17

Shock As Local Bank Denies 'Rich' Mugabe's Son Heifty Credit

by Own Correspondent | 2016 September 30 19:14:54

Mugabe "Home Coming" And "Thank You" Rally On Cards

by Own Correspondent | 2016 September 23 06:48:24

Prof Moyo Was Dumped By Western Embassies, Claims Mutsvangwa

by Staff Reporter | 2016 September 22 10:08:07

Prof Jonathan Moyo In Fresh Beef With War Vets

by Own Correspondent | 2016 September 22 07:48:10

You Are Too Old To Lead, Aging Zim President Mugabe Told

by Own Correspondent | 2016 September 22 07:19:25

Younger Lover Beats Up Sugar Mama For Cheating

by Own Correspondent | 2016 September 20 03:21:43

Anti-Corruption Commission Loses Property In Failed Probe

by Own Correspondent | 2016 September 20 03:18:19

Mutsvangwa's Son Caught Up In Rape Case

by Own Correspondent | 2016 September 20 01:24:00

REMAINING PSL FIXTURES: ONLY 7 WEEKS LEFT

by Sports Correspondent | 2016 September 20 01:21:33

Victims Involved In Horror Crash Named

by Own Correspondent | 2016 September 20 01:16:09

Man Kills Uncle For Taking Him To Prophet

by Own Correspondent | 2016 September 20 01:11:08

Mphoko Threatens Zimra Over Irregular Taxes

by Own Correspondent | 2016 September 20 01:07:44

China Pours $46m On New Parliament Construction

by Own Correspondent | 2016 September 20 01:05:11

SHOCKING:14 Year Old HIV-Positive Boy Rapes 7 Pupils

by Own Correspondent | 2016 September 20 00:04:55

Tajamuka Slams Zimpapers, Fumes Over

by Own Correspondent | 2016 September 19 11:56:42

Mthwakazi Activists Torment Mujuru

by News Editor | 2016 September 19 10:52:58

We Did Not Fire Live Bullets: Police

by Staff Reporter | 2016 September 19 08:09:20

Ruling On 58 Protesters Expected Today 



by Court Reporter | 2016 September 19 08:10:40

6 Zanu PF Youths Nabbed For Assaulting Cops

by Court Reporter | 2016 September 19 08:11:50

Mutare Con-artist Cracks Zanu PF

by Own Correspondent | 2016 September 19 08:13:32

MSU Student Caught Peddling Drugs Tor Tuition Fees

by Own Correspondent | 2016 September 19 05:29:18

ZIMRA Dishes Out Rewards To Faithful Tax Payers

by Own Correspondent | 2016 September 19 05:24:19

Headmaster ‘Steals’ $17 000 From School's Fees

by Own Correspondent | 2016 September 19 05:21:24

Mujuru Party Fails To Pay $15 000 For Printed T-shirts

by Own Correspondent | 2016 September 19 05:14:37