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Mashudu Netsianda, Senior Court Reporter
A SERIAL robber who carjacked a taxi driver before fatally stabbing him and robbing him of $6 and a cellphone was yesterday sentenced to an additional 25 years in jail and he will now serve nearly 50 years in jail.
Thulani Proficient Msipa (23) of Nugget Farm in Matobo district, who is already serving 24 years in jail for robbery, killed Mr Witness Zindonda (32) of Luveve 4 suburb, Bulawayo in July last year. The body was discovered three weeks later in a state of advanced decomposition in the Matopos area.
Msipa targeted taxi drivers and Mr Zindonda was one of the six victims he hired, stabbed, robbed or attempted to rob of vehicles, valuables and money in Bulawayo. Mr Zindonda bled to death after the accused attacked him.
Msipa was convicted of murder with constructive intent by Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Martin Makonese.
In passing sentence, Justice Makonese condemned Msipa’s conduct and described the murder as heinous.
“The accused person committed a most heinous murder after luring the deceased to a secluded area out of town. He showed no mercy in the manner he committed the murder when he fled from the scene leaving the deceased bleeding to death,” he said.
Justice Makonese said Msipa’s moral blameworthiness is high and ruled that the murder was committed in aggravating circumstances.
“The accused person’s moral blameworthiness is very high and a severe punishment of a lengthy prison term should be imposed on people who commit murder in the course of robbery, which is an aggravating factor. The sentence should be deterrent and also rehabilitative to allow the accused person to reflect on his conduct. Accordingly, you are sentenced to an effective 25 years in jail,” ruled the judge.
Prosecuting, Mr Khumbulani Ndlovu said on July 4 during the night, Msipa approached Mr Zindonda after spotting his car parked at a service station in Bulawayo’s Central Business District. The court heard that Msipa hired Mr Zindonda to drive him to Nugget Mine in Matobo.
“On approaching a bushy area along the way to Nugget Mine, the accused person asked the deceased to stop the car. They both disembarked from the vehicle and walked through the forest after the accused person had indicated to the deceased that they wanted to collect the taxi fare at a nearby homestead,” said Mr Ndlovu.
The court heard that after walking a distance of about 60 metres, Msipa produced an Okapi knife and stabbed Mr Zindonda on the right shoulder, right arm and on the back.
“The deceased ran away and the accused person returned to the car, which was locked and he smashed a windscreen to gain entry. He got into the car and took $6 and a Nokia N1280 cellphone and fled leaving the vehicle at the scene,” said Mr Ndlovu.
The following day, the abandoned car was recovered by detectives from the CID Vehicle Theft Squad but Mr Zindonda could not be located. The court heard that a few days later, Msipa was arrested after robbing another taxi driver. An Okapi knife used in the murder of Mr Zindonda was also recovered, including his Nokia cellphone. A relative found Mr Zindonda’s body on July 22 at around 4PM, a few metres away from where his car was found. The body was in an advanced state of decomposition.
Mr Zindonda, a Proline Taxis employee, left his home for work on July 4 and never returned and a report was made to the police. Msipa was arrested while drinking beer at Emganwini Business Centre following a tip-off. Police also recovered the knife which was used to kill the taxi driver.
Msipa through his lawyer Mr Tawanda Tawengwa, denied the charge, arguing that he was not at the scene on that particular day. — @mashnets
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