Two men in Zimababwe have been sentenced to death for killing a taxi driver.  New Zimbabwe reports that, Romeo Jambura, 29, and his cousin, Norest Tamangani, 31 were convicted after a full trial.

The two cousins unsuccessfully tried to deny the charges.

During the trial, the court heard that on 18 November 2018, the two cousins together with an accomplice identified only as Last and Tamangani’s girlfriend, Dallena Mary Makupe, hired a car which was being driven by the late Taruvinga Matiza.

They claimed that they wanted to go to Kuwadzana.  However, along the way, they directed Matiza to turn off the road.  When Matiza complied, the three men pounced on him and viciously attacked him while Makupe watched helplessly.

After killing Makupe, the three-man put his body in the car and transported it to Westgate, where they dumped the body.  After dumping the body, they then drove back to Domboshava where they stay.  Makupe was warned not to tell anyone what had transpired and threatened with death if she ever did so.

Following investigations, the police arrested Jambura, Tambangani and Makupe and charged them with murder.  However, the police were unable to locate Last and he remains at large.  Charges against Makupe were later dropped after the police noted that she had not been an active participant but was a victim of circumstance.

In passing his sentence Justice Chitapi said

“The current case, the murder, having been committed in aggravating circumstances, the court has the discretion to impose any of the three sentences provided for. To be taken into account too is the societal interest in ensuring that a serious crime is adequately punished…

…the accused persons only stated that they were sorry that the deceased died after the court had asked counsel whether in view of the court’s findings that the accused were guilty, they had anything to say in regard to regretting their proven capability.

…The court also considered the manner of commission of the offense, the pre-planning, the theft of the deceased’s personal property and car, the vicious attack on the deceased and strangulation, the dumping of the deceased where he could not get help, the conduct of the accused after the crime of going to drink alcohol and being merry without ever looking back on what they had done and the want of remorse as showing a high level of moral blameworthiness.

“In the absence of the accused advancing any reason why the death sentence could not be imposed upon them, the accused would be sentenced as follows; each of the two is sentenced to death. Each of the two accused shall be returned to prison, there to be held until the execution of the sentence,”