Jealousy earns Chegutu man 25 years in prison

A CHEGUTU artisanal miner chose to deal with the man who reportedly snatched his “wife” in the most unconscionably heinous way possible.

The aggrieved Kudakwashe Maposa and his two accomplices, who are still at large, were convinced that the best way to deal with Tatenda Malunga, a fellow artisanal miner, for the ultimate betrayal was to impose their own version of capital punishment.

While many were still savouring joys of the festive season, a day after Christmas last year, the vigilantes waylaid Malunga.

When they saw him, they pounced while brandishing an axe and a Columbia knife.

The confrontation quickly escalated after Malunga refused to heed the trio’s order to kneel before them for his alleged transgressions.

What happened next can be best described as a script from a horror movie.

In a fit of rage, Maposa repeatedly stabbed Malunga. His accomplice, Integrity Nguruve (clearly a name wasted on this individual), joined in the murderous frenzy by using his Columbia knife on the victim.

Despite Malunga’s desperate pleas for mercy, the trio continued their murderous assault regardless. They left him within an inch of his life. Malunga, however, later died upon admission at the Chegutu District Hospital.

In court, Maposa thought telling the judge that Malunga had snatched his wife would be exculpatory.

Chinhoyi High Court Judge Justice Catherine Bhachi-Muzawazi was, however, unimpressed. She highlighted the extent of the injuries suffered by the deceased as an indication of the egregiousness of the attack.

“He claims to have been the wronged party, with his wife having been stolen by the deceased. His bitterness effervesced to his friends. His friends were fighting his cause and his battle,” the judge noted with incredulity.

With the accomplices on the run and a post-mortem report detailing the grotesque injuries inflicted on Malunga, the story is a stark reminder of the absurd lengths to which some will go in the name of misplaced revenge.

For his senselessness, Maposa will now spend 25 years in the slammer.