Murder in gold war convicts jailed 87 years

Sharon Chiware, Midlands Reporter
FIVE gold panners including a teenager from Shurugwi have been sentenced to a combined 87 years in prison after they ripped a colleague’s stomach with a spear in gold turf wars.

Tinashe Mashazhu (16), Ernest Ezekiel (23), Crispen Chikwata (23), Tariro Kombora (25) and Rabson Chikwanda (35) all from Chief Banga area in Shurugwi appeared before Bulawayo High Court Judge Justice Francis Bere facing one count of murder each.

Mashazhu, Ezekiel, Chikwata, Kombora and Chikwanda all pleaded not guilty to murder but to a lesser sentence of culpable homicide.

However, Justice Bere, sitting with assessors, Mrs Chipo Junior Baye and Mr Wellington Matemba found the five guilty of murder with actual intent.

Ezekiel, Chikwata and Kombora were each sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Chikwanda was slapped with 22 years and Mashazhu five years.

Passing judgement, Justice Bere said all the state witnesses managed to identify the five accused persons who were armed with two spears and three machetes.

He said if they had no intention to kill Jaison Luckson Maguvu, they should have rendered aid when they realised that they had ripped his stomach open.

Instead, he said, they ran way.

Justice Bere said Chikwanda who was the eldest of them should have warned the youngsters against what they were doing but instead he was the one who ordered everyone home.

“As the court we intend to pass a message which is loud and clear to the community that gold panners should by all means desist from using weapons and violence when solving disputes. Ezekiel, Chikwata and Kombora are sentenced to 20 years in prison each, while Chikwanda gets 22 years and Mashazhu 5 years, ” said Justice Bere.

Prosecuting, Mr Mirirai Shumba said on December 2 last year, Ezekiel and Chikwata approached the now deceased who was drinking beer with his colleagues at Zevezeve bar in Shurugwi.

The court heard that the duo alleged that Maguvu had assaulted their relative at an earlier encounter in gold turf wars.

Ezekiel, Mr Shumba said, asked for a machete from Chikwata who pulled it out from his waistband.

“Ezekiel tried to strike Maguvu with the machete but he managed to duck and dispossessed him of the weapon before chasing the two out of the bar,” he said.

The court heard the duo returned with Kombora, Chikwanda and Mashazhu who were armed with three machetes and two spears.

Mr Shumba said Maguvu and his colleagues ran away. “Mashazhu, Ezekiel, Chikwata, Kombora and Chikwanda ran after Maguvu before one of them stabbed him with a spear in the stomach and left him for dead,” he said.

A report was made to the police leading to their arrest.