adminThe two, Wellington Gadzira (39) and Farai Lawrance Ndlovu (23) had pleaded not guilty to murdering William Porvey (36) and Michael Sunderland (37) during a four-day trial conducted at the Gweru High Court.
Acting Justice Cheda sitting with assessors Messrs Jameson Lex Dhlula and Wellington Takawira Matemba, however, found Gadzira and Ndlovu guilty of murder with constructive intent on Porvey and guilty with actual intent on Sunderland who the two struck with a pick after he could not die from the poisoning.
Ndlovu was represented pro deo by Mr Vengai Masvaya of Mukushi, Foroma and Maupa Legal Practitioners.
Gadzira, who is facing another charge of killing a convict at WhaWha while on remand, was also represented pro deo by Mrs Patience Takaendesa of Danziger and Partners.
It was an emotional moment for the relatives of both the convicted killers and the two deceased when the court was asked to stand in silence in line with procedure as the death sentence was passed.
Soon after Justice Cheda had passed the death sentence, Porvey’s and Sunderland’s relatives could be seen weeping and hugging each other while nodding their heads as if to endorse the sentence.
Appearing for the State, Mrs Rosa Takuva said on 27 March 2011 the two miners, Porvey and Sunderland, made prior arrangements with Ndlovu and Gadzira to go to Grassland Farm near Kwekwe to prospect for gold.
She said the two also told the miners that they had 190 grammes of gold, which they intended to sell.
Mrs Takuva said the miners picked Ndlovu and Gadzira in Gweru and arrived at Grassland Farm at about 7am.
The farm is about 20km from Kwekwe along the Kwekwe-Gweru road.
Mrs Takuva said Gadzira and Ndlovu sat at the back of a Nissan Patrol open truck, which the miners were driving.
She said while at the back Ndlovu and Gadzira mixed bottled water brought by Porvey and Sunderland with cyanide.
Mrs Takuva said as soon as they arrived, the quartet got down to “business” and started prospecting for gold.
She said the miners, Porvey and Sunderland, later decided to drink the bottled water which had been laced with cyanide by Ndlovu and Gadzira.
The court heard that after drinking the poisoned water, the two miners fell sick resulting in Sunderland dying as a result of the poisoned water.
Mrs Takuva said Porvey vomited and gained consciousness but the two took a pick and pounded his head leading to his death.
The court heard that after committing the murder, Ndlovu and Gadzira hid the bodies of the two miners in the bush before driving away in the miners’ pick-up truck.
She said the suspects had earlier on searched one of the miners’ pockets and taken away R260 and $100.
In the truck there were valuables including two metal detectors.
Mrs Takuva said Ndlovu was later arrested in Chikombedzi in Masvingo province.
Gadzira was later arrested in Bindura.
Online Reporter