Online Reporter
Muchaneta Chimuka
HEARTLESS criminal, Anymore Zvitsva, says he was not a criminal when he was growing up but deserves whatever punishment is appropriate because he accepts that he inflicted harm on a lot of people.
He will also be tried for scores of murder charges at the High Court.
Zvitsva did not show any signs of remorse when he appeared before Harare magistrate Francis Mapfumo yesterday.
Zvitsa has already pleaded guilty to ten counts of attempted murder, rape and robbery.
There were five attempted murder cases, four rape cases and one count of robbery.Zvitsva appeared for pre-sentence hearing and will be sentenced on May 20.He would nod as the complainants revealed the punishment they wanted Zvitsa to get from the court.
Some of the complainants said their wish was to see him being sentenced to death (which cannot be done in these days), life in prison or to have his hands and legs cut.
When asked to respond to complainants, he was quite casual and said:
“My mindset was not like that (involvement in criminal activities) because I never grew up doing these things.
“But, I later started committing crimes involuntarily.
“Handingarambi zvikumbiro zvevamhan’ari nekuti ivowo zvakavarwadza.
“Let the courts rule or judge according to their wishes because I wronged them and caused too much pain.”
He said at times he would pick a wire, intending to use it for other things, but he would end up committing attempted murder crimes with it.In preparation for Zvitsva’s sentence, prosecutor Lancelot Mutsokotsi cited some of the case studies which relate to similar crimes and said that he is not suitable for ‘Global Sentencing’.
This means his cases are not going to be sentenced concurrently as per the norm.Mutsokotsi also urged the court to sentence Zvitsva not focusing much on the public outcry but focusing on the prescribed sentences earmarked by the laws of the land.
He cited a number of cases, including S v Sparks 1972 (3) SA 396 (A), which, in part, reads:
“Punishment should fit the criminal as well as the crime, be fair to the State and to the accused and be blended with a measure of mercy. The sentence must not have the effect of breaking the offender”
The court heard that on October 9, the complainant Providence Maruza, 27, was sleeping in her room at Ditwi Village, Chiwe Farm, Raffingora, and the door of her house was unlocked.
Zvitsva, who was armed with an Okapi knife and a snare wire, pushed the door open and gained entry into the room.
While inside, he threatened to kill Maruza if she screamed.
He then tied her on both hands and legs using a wire and dragged her towards the thicket of Dangemuri mountains where he raped her once.
After the act he stabbed her once on the back and neck and left the scene.On October 27 Zvitsva, while armed with a machete, met Reginet Sango of Mudhindo Village, Chief Bepura, Kachuta, Guruve.
Sango, 62, was fetching water at a local borehole.
Zvitsva produced a machete from his jacket and demanded to have sexual intercourse with her.
She attempted to flee into nearby bushes but Zvitsva pursued and caught up with her.
He struck her once on the head and once on the left arm with the machete.
He then raped her once without protection, strangled her with a wire around the neck and left her unconscious at the scene.
Zvitsva then attacked Brian Ngoshi, who was walking on foot from Kachuta Business Centre, and was going home.
Zvitsva was armed with a machete, which he used to strike the complainant twice on the head.
He then strangled Ngoshi with a wire around the neck until he lost consciousness.
He searched him and stole a cigarette lighter and a packet of Madison cigarettes.
Zvitsva left Ngoshi unconscious at the scene and he was assisted by someone who was passing by.
