Online Reporter
Danisa Masuku
A FAMILY secret buried for 11 months exploded in court after a teenage boy exposed how his uncles allegedly beat a relative to death over missing US$20.
The dramatic confession led to the arrest and jailing of three Tshabalala men.
Cosmas Nyoni, Tichaona Gwafa and Tichaona Murisi appeared before Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Naison Chivayo facing a murder charge.
It was 18-year-old Kudakwashe Gwafa who stunned the court with the gory details of what happened that night.
The teen, who had reportedly been chased away from home after a family dispute, told the court how the trio accused the now deceased man of stealing US$20 before tying his hands to his legs and taking turns to assault him for hours.
“They tied his hands to his legs and beat him with a rope and a baton. They even put ice cubes inside his underwear saying it would stop him from dying,” Kudakwashe testified.
He said the man later collapsed.
“They carried him and placed him on his bed. I woke up after midnight and realised he had died. They warned me not to tell anyone and told neighbours he had died in his sleep,” he said.
The court heard that the incident occurred on 4 August 2023, shortly after 8pm, when the deceased arrived home and a misunderstanding erupted over missing money.
Prosecutors said the three men tied him up, assaulted him with a rope and baton, poured alcohol on him and shoved ice cubes into his trousers.
“They later untied him, held him and pushed him against a wall, hitting his head. He fell unconscious,” the court heard.
He was placed on his bed where he later died.
The accused denied assaulting him.
“We did not assault him. He came home drunk with wounds and had been assaulted before,” they said, claiming they had a medical report.
At the end of the trial, Justice Chivayo ruled that the State had failed to prove the essential elements of murder and reduced the charge to culpable homicide.
Each man was sentenced to eight years in prison, with three years suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour.
They will each serve an effective five-year jail term.
What began as a US$20 dispute ended in death and a secret that could not stay buried forever.
