adminFaith Mabuto Midlands Reporter
TWO friends from Lalapanzi have been arraigned after they allegedly killed a state witness who had testified against one of them in court.
Obvious Mawire, 27, of Chigara Village, and Pardon Machando, 33, of Hilton Village in Lalapanzi, appeared before Magistrate Judith Taruvinga facing murder charges.
Mawire and Machando, who were not asked to plead, were remanded out of custody on $50 bail each to July 28.
According to the State, on September 21, 2013 at around 3AM, Mawire and Machando went to their neighbour Jacob Matanda’s homestead where they went on to assault him.
They accused him of having testified against Machando in a court case. The charges that were involved were not mentioned in court.
“On September 21, 2013, at around 3AM, Machando entered Matanda’s bedroom hut and dragged him outside and forced him to lie on his back and started assaulting him with an iron bar several times all over his body,” said Daniel Tapfuma, for the state.
They fled from the scene when he fell unconscious.
“Matanda sustained three deep cuts on the head and was taken to Shurugwi District Hospital where he was admitted.
“Unfortunately on October 7 that year, he passed away due to the injuries sustained during the brutal attack by Mawire and Machando,” added Tapfuma.
He said before Matanda passed away, he told his friends and relatives that he had been assaulted by the two.
The matter was reported to the police leading to their arrest.
Online Reporter