Online Reporter
Patrick Chitumba
A DRUNKEN night out at a Shurugwi beerhall ended in horror when a joke gone wrong sparked a deadly rage, leaving a 64-year-old man hacked to death.
Tonderai Absolom Machiya (36) of Chief Nhema Village appeared before Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Munamato Mutevedzi facing a murder charge.
The court heard that on 10 February, Sithole was having drinks at Nyengera Bottle Store at Shamba Business Centre when he playfully threw a vernacular slang joke at a group of drinkers.
What should have been a moment of laughter quickly turned sour when Machiya took offence.
Witnesses said he stormed off in a huff, only to return later wielding an axe.
As Sithole made his way home along a footpath, Machiya ambushed him in cold blood, striking him on the head before stabbing him in the leg with the axe handle.
The following morning, horrified schoolchildren stumbled upon Sithole’s lifeless, blood-soaked body, sparking panic in the community.
Police were alerted and launched a manhunt, leading to Machiya’s arrest.
He tried to wiggle out by pleading guilty to a lesser charge of culpable homicide. However, after a full trial, he was nailed for murder and slapped with a 15-year prison sentence for the gruesome killing of Johnson Sithole.
Justice Mutevedzi tore into Machiya for his savage actions, saying drunkenness was no excuse for murder.
“The accused armed himself with a lethal weapon, fully aware of the risk his actions posed. Human life must never be so cheaply discarded over words spoken in jest. This court has a duty to deter the culture of violence in our communities,” thundered the judge.
derick.khumalo