Online Reporter
The Herald
8 July 1982
FOUR Buhera men, who claimed to have been ordered by former guerillas soon after independence to kill a suspected witch, were jailed for murder yesterday.
Jamunosi Rwerayi Mapfumo (31), Matias Chikodza Gwedu (31), Peter Svibirwayi Gurwe (24) and Jokonia Jiwawa (34) admitted responsibility for the killing of Mrs Regayi Fireyi (47) in the early hours of May 11 1980.
Mapfumo told the High Court, Harare, that he set fire to Mrs Fireyi’s family huts. Gwedu stabbed her and Gurwe beat her with a knobkerrie when she tried to get to her sleeping husband’s bedroom.
Mr Justice McNally rejected their claim that they had been ordered under threat of death by armed guerillas from Foxtrot assembly point at Dzapasi to kill her because she was a witch responsible for two deaths in Dune, her village.
He jailed Mapfumo for 12 years, Gwedu and Gurwe for nine years and Jiwawa for six years for their parts in the killing. The court did not accept, said the judge, that armed guerillas had approached the four men with the allegation that Mrs Fireyi was a witch, but rather that they had gone to the ex-combatants.
Mapfumo’s wife was one of the people believed to have died because of the “sorcery” of Mrs Fireyi and he motivated his friends to kill the suspected witch.
The court rejected evidence in statements the men made to police, because a constable had said that references they made about the compulsion to kill were omitted.
However, the men’s claims during the trial that they had been forced to commit murder were made implausible by inconsistencies and a total lack of corroboration.
Lessons for today:
The court sentenced the men to prison for murder, indicating that killing someone, even if they are suspected of witchcraft, is a serious crime. The men’s defence that they were coerced by armed guerillas was rejected due to inconsistencies and lack of corroboration. This highlights the need for credible evidence when claiming coercion.
The court found that the men were motivated by personal grievances, particularly Mapfumo, whose wife was believed to have died due to the suspected witch’s sorcery. This suggests that personal vendettas do not justify murder. The legal framework in Zimbabwe is designed to protect individuals from the harmful consequences of witchcraft accusations and to promote a culture of respect and human dignity.
The legal system does not condone extrajudicial killings based on witchcraft accusations and emphasizes the importance of evidence and due process.
In Zimbabwe, modern laws take a firm stance against witchcraft accusations to prevent social unrest and violence. It is illegal to accuse someone of being a witch or practicing witchcraft. This law aims to prevent accusations that could lead to violence, discrimination, and social unrest.
Witch-hunting is considered a violation of human rights, often leading to violence and discrimination, particularly against vulnerable groups like women, children and the elderly.
