Online Reporter
Kimberley Chitambara, [email protected]
AN 18-year-old Fort Rixon man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for the murder of a fellow teenager following a dispute over a piece of firewood.
Simon Ncube, of Shangani Mine Compound, was convicted of murder as defined in Section 47 (1)(a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act [Chapter 9:23] by Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Naison Chivayo for the murder of Svunurai Matanga.
Justice Chivayo sentenced him to 15 years’ imprisonment, citing the seriousness of the offence and the need for a deterrent punishment.
The State, represented by chief public prosecutor Mr Kudakwashe Jaravaza, told the court that on November 23, 2022, at around 9PM, the deceased was at SF5 Shangani Mine Compound where he had visited his friend, Kudakwashe Matsakanure.
The accused and the deceased became involved in a verbal altercation over a piece of firewood which the deceased had allegedly removed from where it had been placed by the accused.
“During the verbal altercation accused person’s friends Mlamuli Moyo and Sicelo who are still at large joined and they assaulted the deceased.
“Mlamuli Moyo struck the deceased with a stone at the back of the head and he fell down. The accused struck the deceased on the head with a black label beer empty bottle and Sicelo struck the deceased on the head using the back of an axe,” said Mr Jaravaza.
The court heard that the trio left the deceased lying on the ground before fleeing the scene. The deceased later got up and went to his residence where his friend followed and rendered first aid.
“The friend put up for the night with the deceased monitoring his condition and in the morning of the following day he discovered that the deceased condition was deteriorating and he reported the matter to the police leading to the arrest of the accused person,” said Mr Jaravaza.
The deceased was taken to Gweru Provincial Hospital before being transferred to Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo, where he died on the same day after admission.
A post-mortem conducted by Dr I Jekenya revealed that the cause of death was traumatic brain injury, a depressed skull fracture and assault.
