Woman kills neighbour over strays

Sharon Chiware, Midlands Reporter
A 53-YEAR-OLD woman from Chiwundura in the Midlands province has been convicted of fatally assaulting her 63 –year- old neighbour with a log after his cattle strayed into her garden.

Letwin Garatiya of Chinyama Village, Chief Gambiza’s area had the charge of murder altered to culpable homicide when she appeared before Gweru Regional Magistrate Mr Morgan Nemadire.

She pleaded guilty to the charge.

Mr Nemadire remanded her in custody to July 13 for sentencing.

In mitigation, Garatiya pleaded with the court to be lenient with her.

“I appeal to the court and the family of the deceased to forgive me for my sins. What I did was wrong. It was just in a moment when I didn’t think clearly,” pleaded Garatiya with the court.

Prosecuting, Mr Lloyd Mavhiza said on August 26 last year, Garatiya approached Tinos Magedhi at his homestead and asked him why his cattle had strayed into her garden.

He said Garatiya hit her neighbour on the head with a log and he later died in hospital.

“A misunderstanding arose between the two. The accused person then proceeded to her homestead and picked up a log from her yard. She went back to the victim’s homestead, found him in his kitchen hut and ordered him to come out,” said Mr Mavhiza.

“The deceased then went outside the hut and the accused person, who was armed with a wooden log, used it to strike the victim on his head. The victim sustained a wound on his head as a result of the assault.”

He said that Magedhi was rushed to Muchakata clinic where he was referred to Gweru Provincial Hospital.

“Magedhi later died on August 28 last year as a result of the wound he sustained,” said Mr Mavhiza.—@sharonchiware1ckd cm