The Sunday News
HIGH Court judge Justice Francis Bere has sentenced a Chivhu man to life imprisonment for stoning his girlfriend to death whom he accused of infecting him with the HIV virus. One of the rocks weighed 10kg.
Edmore Mujachira (41) of Manzvimbo Village under Chief Munyuki on Thursday last week pleaded not guilty to a charge of murder when he appeared before Justice Bere.
However, Justice Bere, sitting with assessors Samuel Mutomba and Joseph Mushuku, convicted Mujachira due to overwhelming evidence and sentenced him to life imprisonment for murder with actual intent.
In passing sentence, Justice Bere said Mujachira was dangerous to society and deserved to be behind bars for the rest of his life.
“You are a dangerous person to society. You should remain incarcerated for the rest of your life. You also wasted this honourable court’s time telling lies yet you brutally stoned the deceased in the presence of her biological mother. You kept pelting her with stones despite pleas from her mother and that demonstrates cruelty of the highest order,” said Justice Bere.
In mitigation, Mujachira said his girlfriend had been taking anti-retroviral drugs without his knowledge and he only realised that when he stumbled on a container.
“Your honour, I was madly in love with the deceased for a long time but she did not tell me about her HIV status until I discovered it on my own. This was despite engaging in unprotected sex with her,” said Mujachira.
According to the State, on 22 August 2013 Kumbirai Mukaro (then 35), of Tongogara in Gutu, was on her way to Tongogara Business Centre in the company of her mother, Kesta Manhivi and uncle Jackson Muchemwa when she met her boyfriend, Mujachira.
“Mujachira asked Mukaro to go home so that they could discuss their relationship but she refused and continued walking with her mother and uncle towards Tongogara Business Centre. That annoyed Mujachira who walked towards his victim threatening to kill her for infecting him with the HIV virus,” Mr Elson Chavarika, the prosecutor, said.
The court heard that in a fit of rage, Mujachira picked a stone and hit Mukaro on the stomach, resulting in her falling down. Undeterred, he picked several stones and kept on throwing them at her while she was lying on her stomach.
The court further heard that Mujachira then picked a 10kg rock which he used to crush Mukaro’s head in full view of her mother and she died on the spot.
After realising he had killed her, Mujachira disappeared from the scene.
A police report was made leading to his arrest.
The body was taken to Masvingo General Hospital mortuary for a post-morterm. Post-morterm results showed that Mukaro died from severe head injuries.
