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Tanaka Mrewa, Court Reporter
A HERDSMAN from Matopos who went haywire and set his girlfriend’s mother’s hut ablaze before bashing her with a stone on the head, has been jailed for seven years.
Butholezwe Moyo (23) told a court he lost it when his girlfriend’s mum refused to let him see her.
Neighbours had to break down a door to the burning hut to rescue the elderly woman.
Moyo, who apparently had not finished with the woman, pounced on her as soon as she ran out of the hut and hit her several times on the head with a stone.
He told Bulawayo Regional Magistrate Mr Chrispen Mberewere that he was angry because he had just discovered that his girlfriend was having numerous affairs with herdsmen in the community as well as his uncle.
Moyo pleaded guilty to attempted murder.
“Your Worship I’m really sorry. I beat the wrong person. I intended to confront my girlfriend. I was fuming because she was sleeping with other herdsmen in our community. She had no shame at all because she went on to sleep with my uncle. I got to their homestead drunk so I didn’t realise
I had stoned the wrong person,” said Moyo.
Mr Mberewere said sentenced Moyo to seven years in jail.
“Two years will be suspended for five years on condition that you do not terrify people or commit any offence involving violence. If you do you shall be sent to jail without the option of a fine. The remaining five years, you will serve them effectively in jail,” said Mr Mberewere.
Prosecuting, Mr Simbarashe Manyiwa told the court that on September 9, Moyo went to his girlfriend’s homestead around 9PM.
His girlfriend’s mother refused to let him see her saying it was late for her daughter to come out.
“The accused person swore to the complainant that if she didn’t release her daughter, no one would sleep at the homestead.
“Accused started banging on all the doors at the homestead then went away. Around midnight he came back and set the complainant’s hut on fire. She screamed for help and her daughter rushed out,” said Mr Manyiwa.
He added that neighbours axed the door to rescue the woman.
“As the complainant came out of the burning hut she was struck with a stone on the head by the accused. The complainant was taken to the hospital and accused was arrested,” said the prosecutor.
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