BULAWAYO High Court judge Justice Martin Makonese will on Monday preside over a murder case which occurred seven years ago when the Gweru High Court Circuit opens in the Midlands capital. BLESSED MHLANGA STAFF REPORTER
Four accused persons — Pomerai Lunga, Answer Mutsvakiwa, Aleck Sibanda and Ronald Khumalo whose ages were not given, are set to answer to charges of brutally assaulting Jeremiah Chanyandura who was 42 at the time of his death in 2007, when they appear in the Gweru High Court.
It is the State’s case that on November 1 2007 the four attacked Chanyandura at his homestead by striking him with hoe handles and the back of an axe on his chest, back, hands and legs while tied with a wire.
According to an eyewitness account by the deceased’s brother Shine, who will provide the State’s evidence-in-chief, the four allegedly ambushed him around 11am.
Shine will tell the court that the four, who were in the company of Asset Maribha who is still at large, arrived at their homestead in the Sereketo village in Gokwe North armed with axes, hoes, spears and catapults. When they saw the deceased, they allegedly started throwing stones at him and he was struck by one leaving him unconscious.
The State says Shine would tell the court that his attempt to enquire on the motives behind the attack was met with savage beatings.
As the five were assaulting Shine, the deceased gained consciousness and attempted to flee, but the accused pursued and caught up with him.
“They chased him and later returned with him tied with a wire on his wrists. While at his (Chanyandura) home the accused persons took turns to assault him with their weapons. After sometime they left the deceased who by then had a fractured leg and arm,” part of the State outline reads.
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Chanyandura died at Gokwe Hospital on November 13 as a result of the injuries sustained from the assault. The High Court will hear 14 other murder cases during the two-week circuit in Gweru.
