happiness ChikwanhaPaul Pindani in CHINHOYI
TWO Kadoma men, who assaulted and stabbed a gold smelter to death, were each handed life sentences.
Their accomplice was handed 30 years in jail by the Chinhoyi High Court.
Admire Ncube, Tauras Kapeni and Ackim Sibanda, all from Machadu compound, Etina, in Kadoma were charged with murder and were found guilty after a full trial.
Justice Philda Muzofa sentenced Kapeni and Ncube to life imprisonment.
Sibanda will serve 30 years.
In sentencing them, the judge condemned their cruel and heartless act, stating that they had robbed a hardworking man of his life and livelihood.
Prosecutor Hirikiya Maromo told the court that sometime in November 2021, Ncube, Kapeni and Sibanda hatched a plan to rob the deceased, Melody Makaramba.
They prepared fake gold in order to lure the deceased to open his room for them to enter under the pretext of smelting gold.
Makaramba led them to the smelting room, and Kapeni handed over the fake gold to him.
Ncube then grabbed Makaramba while Sibanda strangled him with a wire.
Kapeni struck Makaramba with an iron bar on the back of the head and Ncube took an Okapi knife from Sibanda and stabbed Makaramba in the back of the neck.
The trio searched Makaramba and took an Itel cellphone, portable gold scale and a brown wallet containing cash.
They left him bleeding profusely with the wire still tied around his neck.
They disposed of the blood-stained knife about 100 metres from the scene and hid his cellphone opposite the Yona compound.
Makaramba’s body was found by his workmate at around 5am, and a report was made to the police.
Makaramba’s body was taken to Kadoma General Hospital for a post-mortem.
Kapeni, Ncube and Sibanda were arrested at Zvamuri Shops, Etina, Kadoma, on November 17, 2021, following a tip-off.
They led police to the recovery of the blood-stained Okapi, metal pestle and Makaramba’s cellphone.
Online Reporter