adminMurder Adelaide Moyo Chronicle Reporter
POLICE in Victoria Falls have arrested a Bulawayo man in connection with the murder of a Mosi-oa-Tunya High School pupil who was picnicking with her boyfriend close to the Victoria Falls Rain Forest last Wednesday. Nhlanganiso Luphahla, 35, of Old Pumula, and his accomplice, Augustine Ncube, allegedly murdered Praise Mpofu, 16, before throwing her body into the river.
Praise who was doing Form Four, was in the company of her lover, Brian Dube, 21, also an Upper Sixth pupil at the same school.
Brian was heavily assaulted and left for dead.
Luphahla yesterday appeared before Victoria Falls magistrate Sharon Rosemani charged with murder, attempted rape and robbery.
He was not asked to plead.
Rosemani remanded Luphahla in custody to August 4.
Prosecuting, Takunda Ndovorwi told the court that on July 15 at Zambezi River, Luphahla in the company of Ncube, who is still on the run, approached the two lovers Brian and the now deceased Praise.
“Ncube allegedly picked a log and struck Brian at the back of his head and force-marched the two lovers into a secluded area along the river.
“The duo allegedly forced the lovers to undress and assaulted them with a log, leading to Brian losing consciousness. Ncube then remained guarding Brian while Luphahla took Praise to a nearby bush and tried to rape her before hitting her again with the same log on the head till she died. He later dumped her body into the Zambezi river,” he said.
Ndovorwi said Luphahla then went back to Ncube and tied Brian’s hands with a laptop cable before stealing money, a laptop and a cellphone. The duo then disappeared.
Online Reporter