adminMercy Ngwebvu
WHAT was meant to be a beer drink ended tragically after a Zimunya man assaulted his friend and pushed him into a deep well, killing him in the process.Appearing before High Court judge on circuit in Mutare, Mr Justice Charles Hungwe, Luke Jazi from Muamba Village under Chief Zimunya pleaded guilty to the murder charges he was facing.
The court heard that on August 27, 2011, the late John Changana was drinking beer with his neighbour, Samuel Rakabopa when Jazi arrived in the company of Blessing Maganzo.
Rakabopa left the three together and went to his homestead because he was drunk and wanted to rest.
When they were drunk, Changana and Jazi had a misunderstanding which ended up in a fight.
Jazi grabbed a log with which he used to strike Changana three times on the head. In the process of the fight, Jazi pushed Changana into a 20-metre deep unused well and he died.
Testifying in court, Rakabopa said he only learnt about his neighbour’s death from the police officers who had called him for questioning.
Said Rakabopa: “The police officer who came to interrogate me at around 6pm are the ones who informed me about Jazi’s death. After the questioning, the accused later came to my homestead threatening to ‘deal with me’ for telling the police that I had left him at Changana’s place.”
Realising that he had killed his friend, Jazi fled and was later arrested in Burma valley in 2013.
Changana’s body was taken to Mutare Provincial Hospital mortuary.
The post mortem report done by Dr Kasongo showed that Changana had succumbed to a compound skull fracture and lacerations on the forehead.
The trial continues next Monday.
Manicaland area prosecutor, Ms Jane-Rose Matsikidze prosecuted.
Online Reporter