A 30-YEAR-OLD gold panner from Lower Gweru was on Monday slapped with a 22-year jail term for stabbing a man to death after being told that beer had run out at a local bottle store.
STEPHEN CHADENGA OWN CORRESPONDENT
Zenzo Sibanda of London Farm in Lower Gweru was angered after the deceased Chrispen Makuvire told him to leave the store at Gretina Green Mine as there was no more beer for sale.
The State said on May 18 2013, Sibanda went to Gretina Green Mine in the company of two other men to buy some beer but was told by the mine manager that alcohol had run out.
However, Sibanda insisted that he would not leave the place without beer.
When Sibanda was asked what he was still doing in the store when there was no more beer for sale, he was infuriated and drew a knife from his jacket pocket and stabbed Makuvire once in the chest. Makuvire was rushed to hospital, but died on arrival.
High Court judge Justice Maxwell Takuva found Sibanda guilty of murder with constructive intent before sentencing him to 22 years imprisonment.
In passing sentence, Justice Takuva said cases of people who used dangerous weapons, particularly knives, were on the increase and stiffer penalties were required to deter like-minded persons from needlessly taking away human life.
