‘Cannibal’ mentally ill – court

Leonard Ncube, Online Reporter

A 34-YEAR-OLD Hwange man who axed his uncle and dismembered the body, and hung the parts on tree branches to dry, before cooking and eating them, escaped a murder charge after a judge retained a special verdict on him.

Bulawayo High Court judge justice Maxwell Takuva who is on a circuit in Hwange said Wished Mumpande (34) of Mubhora village under Chief Nekatambe was mentally ill when he murdered his uncle in July last year.

The judge however said Mumpande should be sent to a mental institution for treatment as he was a danger to society.

“We are satisfied that when you committed an act of murder you were mentally challenged. Accordingly, the court retains a special verdict and you have to be returned to prison for transfer to a mental institution because you are very dangerous to society and if released you will harm citisens,” said Justice Takuva.

The deceased Stephen Mumpande, who was 62 years old at the time of his death resided in neighbouring Bhale village in the same area.

For the State, Mrs Martha Cheda said the deceased had left home to tend to his maize crop when he met his death at the hands of his nephew.

His remains were found a week later.

“On an unknown date but during the month of July 2022, the deceased left his homestead and went to his field towards Gwayi river to guard the maize crop and did not return. On 20 July Mr Mabone Sibanda who was the deceased’s uncle went to the fields and found cattle feeding on the deceased’s maize crop and alerted his wife Ms Beatina Nyoni.

“On 22 July Ms Nyoni and Mr Given Mumpande proceeded to Gwayi River to search for deceased and were joined by Mr Sibanda and Mr Albert Mumpande. They came across a pair of bloodstained gumboots and pair of formal trousers belonging to deceased,” said Mrs Cheda.

The court was told that the family continued searching and found chopped body parts including intestines, both legs, head, arms, backbone and ribs hanging from tree branches.

They also recovered a pot with cooked human meat mixed with maize.

The accused emerged from the bush carrying an axe and they apprehended him and handed him to the police.

The deceased’s remains were gathered and sent for postmortem and a report showed that he was attacked several times.

-@ncubeleon