Colletta Dube
Fairness Moyana in Hwange
A FAMILY dispute over a troubled marriage ended in tragedy after a Kariba man armed himself with an illegal rifle and fatally shot his 21-year-old sister-in-law as she slept beside her three-year-old daughter and younger siblings.
Kura Lunga was sentenced to an effective 20 years in prison by the Bulawayo High Court, sitting on circuit in Hwange, after being convicted of murder and unlawful possession of a firearm.
Justice Nokuthula Moyo sentenced Lunga to three years’ imprisonment for possessing a firearm without a valid licence and 20 years for murder. The sentences will run concurrently, leaving him to serve an effective 20-year jail term.
Ms Memory Munsaka represented the State.
The court heard that the murder stemmed from a long-running family dispute over Lunga’s marriage to the deceased’s younger sister. Lunga accused Trinity Lunga of interfering in his marriage and blamed her for attempting to destroy the relationship.
On the night of September 26, 2025, Trinity was asleep in a kitchen hut at Rabson Mudenda’s homestead in Mulambe Village under Chief Siabuwa in Binga. She was sharing the room with her younger sister, 14-year-old Praise Mulongo, her seven-year-old brother, Provide Mulongo, and her three-year-old daughter.
At about 10.45pm, a gunshot shattered the silence.
Praise testified that she woke up to the sound of the gunshot before hearing her sister cry out: “Mama ndafa” (“Mother, I am dead”).
She found Trinity bleeding heavily from the chest as blood soaked the blankets.
The court heard that Lunga entered the kitchen hut and fired a single shot from a .303 hunting rifle before fleeing from the scene.
The deceased’s mother, Hazvinei Lunga, testified that tensions had been escalating in the days before the shooting over lobola negotiations and disputes involving the accused and family members. She later found her daughter’s body lying in a pool of blood.
Trinity’s stepfather, Rabson Mudenda, told the court that earlier that evening the deceased had reported being assaulted by the accused. Hours later, he was awakened by the sound of the gunshot and ensuing commotion.
Investigating officer Detective Sergeant Gilbert Sigauke told the court that police attended the scene before launching investigations that led to Lunga’s arrest at his father’s homestead in Matibilila Village under Chief Negonde in Kariba.
Following his arrest, Lunga led detectives to a bathroom at his homestead where he had concealed the .303 hunting rifle used in the murder. He also made indications at the crime scene.
Forensic firearms examiner Detective Sergeant Claudius Charuma linked the recovered rifle to the spent bullet through ballistic examination, while forensic pathologist Dr Acosta confirmed that Trinity died from a gunshot wound to the chest.
Satisfied that the State had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, Justice Moyo convicted Lunga on both counts and sentenced him to an effective 20 years’ imprisonment.
Online Reporter