The Sunday News
Munyaradzi Musiiwa Midlands Correspondent
A JEALOUS uncle who wanted to snatch his nephew’s girlfriend because “she was too old for him” beat the poor man to death before hanging his body on a tree outside his yard in a bid to conceal the crime. Obert Dube (52) of Jobe Village under Chief Bangwe in Mberengwa fled to South Africa after committing the alleged crime in a bid to evade arrest.Dube was, however, arrested last week and appeared before Mberengwa magistrate Mr Christopher Maturure facing murder charges as defined in Section 47 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, Chapter 9.23.
He was not asked to plead and was remanded in custody to tomorrow. Mr Maturure advised Dube, who is represented by Mr Hebert Tafa of Tafa and Associates, to apply for bail at the High Court.
The State’s case is that on 13 August this year Dube killed his nephew, Benefit Dube, following a misunderstanding over a woman and he went into hiding.
On the fateful day, the court heard, Dube and Benefit were drinking beer at Jobe Shopping Centre when the latter’s girlfriend came to visit him.
It is alleged that the uncle was not happy about it and he confronted Benefit. He ordered him to leave the woman alone as he was too young to date her, insinuating that he was the one suitable for her.
The court also heard that a heated argument ensued and Benefit left the shopping centre with his girlfriend.
At around 8pm the same day, Benefit went to visit his uncle at his homestead where a misunderstanding arose over the same issue, resulting in the latter assaulting the former with fists.
Dube allegedly hit Benefit on his left cheek below the ear and he fell to the ground and became unconscious. Dube immediately rendered first aid on his nephew and he regained consciousness.
The following morning, Dube woke up at around 5am to go and check on Benefit but found him dead just outside his yard.
Dube allegedly took a chain from his yoke and hanged Benefit’s body on a tree a few metres from his homestead and fled the scene to evade arrest.
The matter was reported to the police who attended the scene and Benefit’s body was taken to Msume Hospital for a post-mortem. Dube was later arrested after police got a tip off from members of the public.
Mr Munyaradzi Ncube appeared for the State.
