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George Maponga in Masvingo
A MWENEZI teacher, who killed his son over poor school performance, has been sentenced to 25 years in prison.
High Court judge Justice Francis Bere spared Nobert Bvukumbwe of Muketi communal lands, the hangman’s noose after accepting extenuating circumstances in the murder of Tanaka, who was a pupil at Muraba Primary School, in June 2009.
He buried his son secretly in a shallow grave. Bvukumbwe’s lawyer, Mr Collins Maboke, submitted that his client had a history of sporadic mental illness that could have affected him when he committed the crime.
Mr Maboke further submitted that Bvukumbwe might not have been in his right mind at the time of the murder because he had just discovered that he was not the father of one of the three children he was looking after.
Agreed facts are that on June 29, 2009 Bvukumbwe and Tanaka went to bath at a nearby river.
At the river he started punching Tanaka and then threw him against a rock, resulting in the child suffering a fractured skull.
He died around midnight.
At about 5am, Bvukumbwe dug a shallow grave at an anthill near the homestead and buried his son.
Bvukumbwe was exposed when fellow teachers observed that Tanaka was not coming to school and alerted police. He admitted to cops that he had killed his son and was taken to court.
Ms Tinaye Matenga prosecuted.
Online Reporter