Online Reporter
Conrad Mupesa-Features Writer
A licenced firearm is issued on the trust that its holder will exercise restraint, sound judgment and respect for life.
But in Sanyati, Mashonaland West Province, that trust collapsed with fatal consequences, exposing the thin line between lawful gun ownership and irreversible tragedy.
On October 17, 2025, High Court Judge Justice Filda Muzofa convicted Thulani Ncube of murdering his wife, Nyengeterai Chakauya, and his brother-in-law, Canaan Shumba, using a lawfully owned pistol.
The killings, carried out at Nyimo Business Centre in January 2025, earned Ncube effective sentences of 25 and 20 years’ imprisonment, running concurrently.
In a hard-hitting judgment, Justice Muzofa reminded the nation that “a pistol is a lethal weapon”, and that those lawfully issued with firearms are expected “to exercise restraint and refrain from using them to settle disputes that have nothing to do with the reason for their issuance.”
Evidence before the court painted a chilling picture. What began as a domestic disagreement, worsened by alcohol, jealousy and long-standing marital tensions, escalated when Ncube rushed to his gun cabinet. In moments, two lives were lost as Shumba was shot at close range on the veranda. Nyengeterai tried to flee, but Ncube pursued her and shot her three times in the head as she ran for her life. Their children watched as their family imploded in bloodshed.
Justice Muzofa dismissed claims of self-defence, provocation and intoxication, ruling that Ncube acted recklessly and with constructive intent to kill. The murders, she said, were committed in aggravating circumstances under Section 47 of the Criminal Law Code, chiefly because a firearm was used.
The Firearms Act provides that a firearm may only be issued after the Controller of Firearms is satisfied that the applicant has “good reason” and can possess it “without danger to public safety or the peace.” The law bars issuance to persons of intemperate habits, unsound mind, or anyone deemed unfit.
In Ncube’s case, the pistol was legally licensed but restricted for use in cash-in-transit protection. It was instead deployed in a domestic quarrel, far removed from its approved purpose.
Justice Muzofa raised a concern increasingly echoed by legal and security experts: “After being trusted with such lethal weapons, some have been used for wrong purposes, some have fallen into wrong hands leading to robberies. “Maybe there is a need for stricter regulations on issuing and possession of firearms.”
While Zimbabwe does not face the scale of gun violence seen elsewhere, licensed firearms have increasingly featured in domestic violence, robberies and murder cases. Police records show that firearms, both legal and illegal, are often used in crimes of passion, where anger, alcohol and access combine with devastating effect.
National police spokesperson, Commissioner Paul Nyathi, warned licensed gun holders against violating the Firearms Act.
“The Zimbabwe Republic Police urges members of the public and organisations, who are licensed to possess firearms in terms of provisions of the Firearms Act for various reasons, which include cash-in-transit, crop protection and business premises security, to religiously comply with the law and stop carrying or displaying such firearms in public gatherings, shopping centres, service stations and other public places,” he said. Failure to comply, Comm Nyathi said, would result in the arrest of offenders and the subsequent withdrawal of their firearms licences.
“The police will not hesitate to enforce the withdrawal of the firearms licences besides effecting arrests on anyone who abuses the privilege of legally owning a firearm.
“The public is, therefore, reminded to take this warning seriously,” he added.
He said all licensed firearms holders should ensure that they are properly and safely secured at all times to curb cases where they end up in the wrong hands.
A security expert, Mr Gift Joseph Kamupira, said: “Once a gun is introduced into a domestic dispute, the outcome is almost always fatal. We need stronger monitoring, psychological screening and regular reviews of firearm holders.”
Sanyati residents remain shaken and told Zimpapers that, while the law is clear, enforcement is supposed to adapt to social realities.
Mr Sibion Ndawana said the incident shattered the community’s sense of safety. “We never imagined a licensed gun could be used like that. If a family man can do this, then something is wrong with how guns are issued and monitored,” he said.
A women’s rights activist, Ms Esther Chinavainzwa, argued that firearms dramatically escalated domestic violence. “This case shows how guns turn private conflicts into public funerals. Removing guns from volatile homes would save lives,” she said. Beyond the legal arguments also lay a deeper wound — the children left behind. Justice Muzofa warned that children exposed to domestic gun violence are scarred for life, often associating violence with conflict resolution.
“The home, where love and safety should exist, has become fertile ground for violence,” she said, urging mandatory counselling and stronger social welfare interventions for affected children.
She argued that licensed guns were meant to protect life and property.
As Justice Muzofa concluded, exemplary sentences alone are not enough. As the Sanyati murders continue to ring in the heads of the community, they force Zimbabweans to question whether current firearm controls are sufficient in a society grappling with domestic violence, alcohol abuse and economic challenges.
Citizens argue that without stricter oversight, community awareness and responsible ownership, the next licensed firearm could again become a weapon of irreversible loss.
