The ManicaPost
Takudzwa Chiwereweshe Post Correspondent
A BUHERA man who stabbed his sibling with a spear, killing him instantly following an altercation involving his son, has been convicted of murder and sentenced to 14 years in jail.
High Court Judge Justice Joseph Musakwa convicted Ngoni Zinyemba of the cold blood murder of his young brother Tinofa Zinyemba.
The incident happened on October 15, 2016 in Mudinzwa Village, under Chief Nyashanu in Buhera. Prosecutor Jonathan Chingwinyiso told the bench that Ngoni (45) stabbed Tinofa Zinyemba with a sharp object on the neck and chest, leading to his death.
The court heard that on the fateful day around 2130hrs, Tinofa visited his mother Maria Mawire and found her seated at the fireside outside the kitchen hut with her granddaughter Rudo Zinyemba. Rudo is Ngoni’s daughter.
Tinofa and his mother started to discuss the issue of Clemence Zinyemba who was ill and admitted at Murambinda Mission Hospital. Decent Zinyemba, the accused’s son then arrived and sat besides Maria while playing music from his cell phone.
He was advised by Tinofa to stop the music and respect elders. Decent refused to comply, and instead told Tinofa to desist from abusing him. He also threatened to report him to the police. Incenced by Decent’s stubbornness and threats, Tinofa stood up with a view to discipline him. Decent picked a brick which he intended to throw at the deceased. The two wrestled for the brick, and Tinofa seized and used it to assault Decent repeatedly on the head.
Enraged by the assault on his son, Ngoni confronted Tinofa and a fist fight ensued between the blood brothers. Ngoni then stabbed Tinofa once in the neck and chest using a sharp weapon that was described in court by a witness as a “black sword”.
Rhodah Matinyarare, the deceased’s wife was also awaken by the noise, and when she rushed to the scene to investigate, she discovered Tinofa was lying in a pool of blood with Maria kneeling besides trying to resuscitate him. Ngoni and Decent were standing a few meters away. Matinyarare admitted seeing Ngoni with a black sword. She rushed home and returned with a blanket which she used to cover her husband’s body. Upon her return, Ngoni and Decent had fled the scene. Tinofa’s body was taken to Murambinda Mission Hospital where a post mortem cited internal haemorrhage as the cause of death. Ngoni voluntarily surrendered himself at Murambinda police on December 31, 2016.
