Online Reporter
Lovemore Kadzura
Mutare Bureau
TWO robbers have been sentenced to life for the murder of a Buhera nurse at her homestead in an incident that shook the Nerutanga community.
George Garwi of Buhera and Kudzai Mateyesanwa of Mhondoro were convicted after a full trial by Mutare High Court Judge, Justice Isaac Muzenda.
Prosecutor Ms Jane-Rose Matsikidze told the court that the pair sought to break into Ivy Mangwanya’s homestead in the evening while she was away. The victim arrived when they were about to break in and they turned on her, stabbing her in the neck.
Information emerged during the court session that the two had gathered information that Mangwanya had accessed a US$3 000 loan she might have been keeping at home.
“The deceased worked as a nurse at Nerutanga Clinic. On April 28, 2024, around 7pm the accused persons arrived at the deceased’s place of residence while she was away. They intended to break into the house through the windows. Whilst they were still in the act, the now deceased suddenly arrived at her house.
“The accused persons reacted by attacking the deceased as she was unlocking the door. The now deceased was then stabbed on the left side of her neck, killing her instantly, whereupon the accused then stole her handbag which contained clothes and her Techno Spark cellphone Go 2023.
“Tomment Mangwaya, a cousin of the deceased, was at home about 500 metres away from where the accused resided. He heard the deceased screaming and dogs barking and proceeded there to enquire. Upon arrival he saw fragmented bricks and a bunch of keys on the verandah. He heard the deceased gasping and on approaching her he noticed that she was bleeding profusely from an injury in the neck.
“He advised his wife with the view to ferrying the deceased to hospital but the deceased had already passed on by the time the witness’s wife arrived,” she told the court.
Ms Matsikidze further told the court that detectives managed to crack the matter after tracking Mangwaya’s cellphone which was sold by Garwi to a man who later sold it to another woman.
“Sometime in May 2024, Diwai Masaraure was at Murambinda Town when the first accused approached and told him that he was selling a Techno Spark Go 2023 cellphone. He bought it for US$21. He noticed the cellphone was locked with a Google account security system for which he sought the services of a technician to bypass. He used the cellphone for a week before he sold it to Abiyolar Elias.
“Elias used the cellphone until June 01, 2024 before detectives approached her in the company of Masaraure to recover the phone. On June 3, 2024 detectives approached Mathew Makuwe concerning the cellphone he had worked on (to bypass the security system).
“On the same day both accused persons were arrested and Mateyesanwa was identified as the stabber by Garwi.
“The weapon was not recovered. Garwi made indications to the police while Mateyesanwa refused to make any indications as he was denying any involvement,” said Ms Matsikidze.
