adminMidlands Correspondent
Relatives of a Gweru female murderer who killed her husband in 2011 threw a welcome-back party for her following her release from prison through the recent Presidential amnesty.
Their action invited the ire of relatives of the deceased who happen to be their neighbours.
The woman, Miriam Loveness Tinarwo of Mkoba Village 14 was sentenced to 21 years in prison in 2012 and was doing time at Shurugwi Female Prison for killing her husband, Pasca Banda.
The party did not go down well with Banda’s relatives who stay a stone’s throw from a house belonging to Tinarwo’s parents who then protested at Zimbabwe Prison and Correctional Services provincial offices.
The prison officials, according to a witness, had a torrid time in trying to explain to the Banda family, how Tinarwo found her way out of prison. She was convicted in 2012 of murder by High Judge, Justice Lawrence Kamocha.
“The Banda family were not happy by the decision made by Tinarwo’s relatives to throw a party right under their nose. They took their grievances to the Zimbabwe Prison Services provincial offices to protest. They wanted to know why Tinarwo was out of prison in the first place and the prison officials had the trouble to go and take Tinarwo and her relatives in a bid to have the two families find common ground,” said a witness.
Raphael Banda said: “I don’t think there is need for us to talk about that issue. We went and consulted with the ZPS officials after we saw the person who killed our relative merry-making at a party with relatives when everyone expected her to be in prison. The issue was explained to us. Life goes on but we will not forget our departed relative.”
A relative to Tinarwo who declined to be named said:
“That is water under the bridge. Why do you want to keep on hurting healing sores?”
Correctional Services Public Relations Officer for the Midlands and Masvingo region, Prison Officer Jere Ruzuve confirmed that they indeed intervened after the Banda family questioned the merry-making party by the Tinarwo family.
He said the issue was handled by the Correctional Services’ Chaplain Department.
“I can confirm that we had a complaint from relatives of a deceased person after they saw relatives of a woman who had been released under the Presidential pardon having a party with her relatives.
“We called in the two families and the matter was handled by our chaplain,” he said.
Tinarwo was convicted of murder in 2012 for axing to death Banda who was her husband. She carried the body in a wheelbarrow to a nearby bush where she dumped it.
derick.khumalo