Chronicle Editor
Blessed Moyo, Sunday News Reporter
THE 26-year-old man from Emakhandeni suburb in Bulawayo who violently killed his girlfriend in February this year, accusing her of having been impregnated by another man has been slapped with a life imprisonment sentence after he was found guilty of murder.
The man, Obvious Velani Sibanda, made headlines early this year after he gruesomely murdered his five-month pregnant girlfriend Nothabo Ncube, a graduate of a Bachelor of Science in Statistics at the National University of Science and Technology (Nust).
The ruling came after a full trial before Justice Naison Chivayo at the High Court in Bulawayo. After being arrested by the police for committing the crime, he claimed that he suspected that Ncube was carrying another man’s child.
Sibanda (26) of Emakhandeni B suburb was convicted of murdering Ncube who was also 26 years-old at the time of her death in terms of subsection (6) of Section 66 of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act (Chapter 9:07).
Presenting the State case, the prosecutor, Mr Vhusani Moyo told the court that the murder took place at a house in Emakhandeni suburb on 5 February 2024, at night and Sibanda handed himself over to the police.
The prosecutor said Ncube and Sibanda were dating as boyfriend and girlfriend and were both employed at Nandos, Bulawayo.
The court heard that on the fateful day, the two knocked off from work at around 4pm and went to Sibanda’s place of residence.
It was the State case that when they got to Sibanda’s residence at around 5pm, they sat in the sitting room and as they were sitting, Ncube’s cell phone rang but she did not answer it.
The court was told that Sibanda enquired as to who was calling and why she was not picking up the call. A misunderstanding is said to have ensued resulting in Sibanda picking an iron bar and striking Ncube several times on the head.
The State through the prosecutor said the deceased person became unconscious and Sibanda then called Misheck Sibanda his father and informed him of what had happened.
Misheck Sibanda rushed to the residence and found his wife, Thembeni Nyathi standing outside as the door had been locked and with his spare key, unlocked the door.
On entering, they were met with the bloodied body of Ncube lying on the floor facing downwards.
The court was told that Thembeni Nyathi checked for Ncube’s pulse and discovered it was still pumping while Misheck Sibanda called for an ambulance.
Sibanda, the court was told had informed his father through the phone that he was on his way to Luveve Police Station.
It was the State case that Misheck Sibanda rushed and met his son near Josiah Chinamano Primary School in Emakhandeni and he accompanied him to the police station where they filed a report, leading to Obvious Sibanda’s arrest.
The police attended the scene, but the ambulance had not yet arrived and Ncube had passed on. Police recovered a blood-stained iron bar in the same room where her body was.
Online Reporter
Bongani Ndlovu