Online Reporter
Yeukai Karengezeka-Chisepo
Court Correspondent
AN 18-year-old man from Budiriro is facing murder charges after allegedly stabbing his uncle in what he argues was self-defence, leading to the latter’s death almost two years ago.
Miguel Saburi Makaranga was not asked to plead when he appeared before Harare magistrate Ruth Moyo yesterday and was told only the High Court could grant bail, as he faces a third schedule offence.
According to prosecutor Lawrence Gangarahwe, the stabbing occurred on April 20, 2024, at around 4pm when Makaranga and his uncle had an altercation over an undisclosed issue involving Makaranga and his cousin, Shingirai Mukwande, who had previously assaulted the uncle over a domestic dispute.
The prosecutor alleged that the uncle (name not supplied) confronted Makaranga, holding a kitchen knife and threatening to stab him.
Makaranga blocked the attack and retaliated by stabbing his uncle with an unknown sharp object in the back, then fled the scene.
The uncle sat on the sofa and succumbed to his injuries.
The incident was reported to the police the following day by Sophia Makaranga, who found the dead man seated on the sofa with no signs of life.
A post-mortem conducted on April 26, 2024, revealed that the cause of death was hemothorax, lung and heart laceration, and puncture wounds in the chest and back region.
