The Sunday News
Fairness Moyana in Hwange
BULAWAYO High Court judge, Justice Maxwell Takuva has described an Inyathi man who struck his wife and sister with a hammer before finishing them off using a metal spear following a rumour of infidelity as “cruel and merciless”.
Amos Nkala (45) of Balanda Village 7, Siganda in Inyathi lured his wife, Simangele Tshuma who was 41 and his sister, Nongazi Nkala aged 39 last year into a kitchen under the pretext that he wanted to discuss allegations that a neighbour was matchmaking boyfriends for his wife during his absence.
However, in a fit of unexplained rage, he armed himself with a hammer and brutally struck his wife and his sister unconscious in full view of his 18-year-old stepdaughter before finishing them off with a spear by stabbing them several times.
He was convicted of murder with actual intent and sentenced to death for each count by Justice Takuva while sitting on circuit in Hwange last week. Justice Takuva described Nkala as a merciless man who had brutally murdered the two defenceless women based on a rumour.
“You committed two heinous crimes in a horrific manner, your level of cruelty is shocking as you acted with untold brutality. You used excessive force on two defenceless women and when you finished them off you did not show mercy. They must have suffered excruciating pain and died very painful deaths, a sign that you have no regard for human life.
“You should not be allowed among the civilised society. The courts have a duty to protect the sanctity of life. This kind of conduct cannot be tolerated, two young lives were killed in cold blood, they did not expect you to behave in the manner you did even if there was some provocation as you allege. You are hereby found guilty of murder with actual intent and sentenced to death for each count,” said Justice Takuva.
Nkala claimed that he acted out of provocation after his wife alleged that he had sexual relations with his mother. Through his pro deo lawyer, Mr Givemore Mvhiringi of Mvhiringi and Associates, Nkala said his wife had accused him of having sexual relations with his late mother during her lifetime. Mr Mvhiringi said Nkala was also provoked by his sister who has insinuated that there was a neighbour who was seeking boyfriends for his wife.
“Accused lost the power of self-control due to provocation and assaulted the deceased with a hammer and spear. Accused admits he was negligent when he was assaulting deceased persons, he did not have intention to cause their deaths,” he said.
Prosecutor, Ms Memory Munsaka told the court heard that on 20 May 2018 Nkala was approached by Lydia Madziko who asked him why he went about telling people that she was seeking boyfriends for his wife.
He then invited his stepdaughter, Roselyn Moyo, sister, Nongazi and Madziko who had allegedly given him the information to his homestead to discuss the rumour with his wife.
After the discussion on the alleged rumour Madziko left the homestead with Nkala saying he was also leaving for work at Morgan Mine.
Giving evidence during the trial, Roselyn who witnessed the double murder said after a few minutes his stepfather returned holding a hammer and without notice struck Tshuma and Nongazi once each on their heads.
“I ran out of the kitchen and stopped by the fowl run watching. I saw the accused coming out of the kitchen and enter his bedroom hut where he armed himself with a spear and pointed it at me threateningly and I fled crying,” she said.
Nkala proceeded back into the kitchen hut where he had left the unconscious pair before stabbing his younger sister, Nongazi twice at the back and on the stomach and wife several times, leaving the spear lodged in her left breast.
After committing the gruesome crime Nkala mounted his bicycle before cycling at high speed in a bid to evade villagers who had been alerted by his stepdaughter’s screams for help.
Villagers found both women lying in pools of blood bleeding from the head, stomach and chest. Post-moterm reports revealed that the two had died from excessive bleeding caused by the stabbing while the hammer had fractured their skulls. Nkala was subsequently arrested after police launched a manhunt for him.
