Chronicle Editor
Rejoyce Sibanda, Court Reporter
A FILABUSI man who strangled a commercial sex worker at Silver Sands Lodge in Bulawayo in 2019 and inscribed 666 on her belly, was on Friday sentenced to an effective 15 years in jail by the High Court.
Wisdom Mpilwenhle Ndlovu (26) of Gwatemba Village in Filabusi, Insiza District, was arrested last year having been on the run for two years after committing the offence in 2019.
Ndlovu, who was aged 23 at the time, strangled Patience Ndlovu (35) of Cowdray Park suburb in Bulawayo until she lost consciousness and died. He searched the deceased and took her money and cellphone.
Patience’s body was found by a lodge employee stashed under the bed in one of the rooms.
Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Martin Makonese convicted Ndlovu of murder and sentenced him to 15 years in jail.
Ndlovu denied the murder charge and offered a limited plea of guilty to a lesser charge of culpable homicide.
In passing the sentence, Justice Makonese condemned Ndlovu’s conduct, saying he was driven by greed to commit the crime.
Prosecuting, Ms Tarisai Mujokoro said on June 2, 2019, Ndlovu hired the services of the now deceased after the two met at a night spot in Bulawayo. The two spent the night together at Silver Sands Lodge.
“The two had consensual sexual intercourse and tattooed various inscriptions on each other’s bodies with red lipstick,” she said.
Ms Mujokoro said the following morning, an argument ensued between Ndlovu and the deceased resulting in the accused strangling the woman leading to her death.
“The two had a misunderstanding during intercourse when the accused accidentally broke the now deceased’s waist band, which she had been given by a prophetess she regularly consulted for spiritual guidance. The accused offered to pay the deceased R100 for her to replace it,” she said.
Despite Ndlovu having offered to pay the money for the waist band, the deceased was not appeased as she felt the money was not enough.
The court heard that Ndlovu went to the bathroom to take a bath leaving Patience alone in the room. When he returned, he discovered that some of his money was missing and an altercation ensued.
“Ndlovu confronted the deceased, accusing her of stealing his money. He demanded to conduct a body search, but she refused. A dispute ensued and the accused punched the deceased several times and in retaliation, the deceased grabbed his private parts,” said Ms Mujokoro
In a fit of rage, Ndlovu choked the woman resulting in her death. After killing her, Ndlovu stole Patience’s cellphone. He then shoved the body under the bed and fled the scene.
“The accused searched the deceased and took some money which was hidden in her bra. He also took her cellphone and fled the scene,” said Ms Mujokoro.
Patience’s body was found by an employee while she was cleaning the room and she reported the matter to the police. The body was taken to the United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) mortuary for a post-mortem.
The post-mortem report established that the cause of death was asphyxia, strangulation and homicide.
Ndlovu was arrested two years later after he was positively identified through a CCTV video footage at the lodge.
In his defence through his lawyers, Cheda and Cheda Associates, Ndlovu said he acted in self defence.
“I acted in a fit of rage and choked the deceased because I wanted her to release her grip on my private parts. Upon realising that the deceased was no longer breathing, I searched her and took my money which she had stolen, including her cellphone,” he said.
Ndlovu said since he was in a panic mode, he decided to shove the body under the bed and fled the scene.
“The murder was not planned, foreseen or deliberate. I was merely trying to protect myself from the deceased since I was in serious pain and risked dying following her grip on my privates,” he said–@ReeSibanda
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