adminLeonard Ncube Senior Court Reporter
TWO Binga men have been sentenced to eight years in prison for beating to death an elderly man at a traditional ritual ceremony.
Polygamous Million Munga, 51, and Obert Muleya, 39, both from Chief Pashu in Binga who pleaded not guilty to murder, were convicted of a lesser charge of culpable homicide by High Court judge Justice Nokuthula Moyo on circuit in Hwange yesterday.
The court heard that Munga, Muleya and Headman Munkombwe, now late, assaulted Jairos Chabwe Muleya with fists and booted feet on August 26, 2013 when he intervened in a bid to restrain them from assaulting his son during a beer drink.
Sentencing the duo, Justice Moyo, with Felix Bhobhote Dube and Elizabeth Chazango agreeing, said by killing a person who was just trying to stop a fight, the pair committed a very serious offence.
The state case presented by Whisper Mabhaudi from the Prosecutor General’s Office was that on August 26, last year, villagers of Siambulo area gathered at a neighbour’s homestead when they picked a fight with Tom Muleya, the deceased’s son.
Munga and Munkombwe turned the heat on Muleya (the father) when he intervened pumelling him with fists and booted feet all over the body leaving him for dead.
The attackers fled from the scene seeing that he was unconscious and villagers rushed Muleya to Binga Hospital where he was transferred to Mpilo Central Hospital but died four days later.
Munga and Munkombwe were represented by Vuyela Mpofu of Cheda and Partners.
derick.khumalo