Online Reporter
Anesu Dhliwayo
WHAT started as a casual night at Ruzviya Bar ended in cold-blooded murder and now a 23-year-old Zhombe man will spend the next 20 years behind bars.
Tichaona Sibanda, described by some villagers as a “quiet but unpredictable” figure, was slapped with the heavy sentence at the Gweru High Court Circuit for fatally stabbing 21-year-old Lloyd Zhakata in the chest with a homemade knife.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority of ZIMBABWE (NPAZ), the grisly killing occurred on 30 December 2024 at Zibhawabhawa Business Centre as patrons watched a tense game of snooker.
“Without warning, Sibanda pulled out a homemade knife and stabbed Zhakata once in the chest before fleeing with his brother into the night,” reads a statement from the NPAZ.
Zhakata tried to walk away but collapsed about 130 metres from the bar, where he was later discovered lying lifeless in a pool of blood near a homestead.
The fugitive killer was smoked out by detectives in Kadoma five days later. The murder weapon was a chilling 11.5cm homemade blade. It was recovered and paraded in court as part of the evidence that sealed Sibanda’s fate.
Locals say the bar has always been a hotspot for violent confrontations, but nothing prepared them for the bloodbath that closed out 2024.
