Online Reporter
Takudzwa Mangrozah
Herald Reporter
A Mufakose commuter omnibus tout has been jailed for 20 years after killing a colleague during a dispute over sadza at the Lytton Road flyover last year.
The National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPA), said Byson Mwachande (31), was convicted by the High Court sitting at Harare for the murder of Michael Salimon following an altercation that began over food and escalated into deadly violence.
The court heard that on February 13, 2025, Mwachande became enraged after finding Salimon sharing a plate of sadza with a colleague and demanded repayment for food the now deceased had eaten earlier at his home.
The dispute worsened when Mwachande attempted to take Salimon’s US$20 share of the day’s earnings as compensation.
When Salimon and his colleague refused, the accused chased them in a pickup truck towards the Workington industrial area, where he jumped from the moving vehicle and struck Salimon on the forehead with a stone, causing him to collapse and die instantly.
A post-mortem revealed that Salimon died from severe head injuries, including a skull fracture and subdural haemorrhage.
Mwachande fled the scene but later surrendered to the police on February 15, 2025.
“Violence is never an acceptable resolution to a dispute. This tragic loss of life over a minor disagreement highlights the devastating consequences of acting in anger,” the NPA said.
