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Munyaradzi Musiiwa, Midlands Correspondent
AN armed robber who brutally murdered a security guard at Grafax Cotton Company offices in Gokwe before stealing cash, two solar inverters and a generator nine years ago, has been sentenced to death.
Doubt Mathe, whose age was not given, of Zunguziva village under Chief Chireya in Gokwe, yesterday appeared before High Court Judge Justice Nicholas Mathonsi, sitting on circuit in Gweru, charged with murder.
Mathe was convicted of murder with actual intent and sentenced to death. In passing sentence, Justice Mathonsi said people should respect the sanctity of human life.
He said the circumstances surrounding the commission of the crime shows that it was premeditated.
The judge said the murder was committed in the course of a robbery, therefore the death sentence was appropriate.
“The courts do not condone murder. We should respect the sanctity of human life. There is a need for stiffer penalties for murders committed with intent,” said Justice Mathonsi.
It was the State’s case that on June 15, 2008 at around 1 AM, Mathe and his accomplices, one of whom is now deceased and the other one who is at large, brutally murdered a security guard, Taurai Mache (24), who was manning Grafax Cotton Company offices in Gokwe.
They hit him with a hoe handle, cracking his skull.
On June 14, 2008 at around 6 PM, the now deceased Mache reported for duty and found Ms Winnie Sigwala, who was a cotton buyer, still at work.
Ms Sigwala then proceeded home within the same premises.
At around 12 midnight, Mathe and his two accomplices went into the Grafax Cotton Company premises armed with a hoe handle and found Mache on duty.
The three started assaulted him with the hoe handle several times on his head until he fell unconscious while bleeding profusely.
After the attack, Mathe and his accomplices proceeded to Ms Sigwala’s house where they found her asleep. They broke the door and gained entry into the house.
The three demanded money from her, threatening to kill her after informing her that they had already killed Mache. Sigwala directed the accused and his accomplices to where the money was.
They stole Z$50 billion, two solar inverters and a generator which they put in a bag belonging to Ms Sigwala.
— @Munya_Musiiwa
Online Reporter