The accused pleaded not guilty to a charge of murder as defined in s 47 (1) (a) or (b) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act [Chapter 9:23]. It is alleged that on 1 February 2018 and at Plot number 63, Nafaton Farm, Chipinge, the accused unlawfully caused the death of Nyashadzashe Maphosa by using unknown means and disposed the body which was later eaten by dogs intending to kill her or realising that there was a real risk or possibility that his conduct might cause death and continued to engage in that conduct despite the risk or possibility... More
The accused was convicted by the magistrate sitting at Kadoma for contravening s 70 (1) (a) of the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act, [Chapter 9:23]. Section 70 (1) (a) aforesaid creates the offence of having sexual intercourse with a young person. More
: This matter is an automatic review. The record was accompanied by a letter from the presiding magistrate who convicted the accused of contravening section 49 (a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act[Chapter 9:23] Culpable Homicide and contravening s 6(1)(a) of the Road Traffic Act [Chapter 13:11]. The learned magistrate in regard to the Culpable Homicide count indicates that he realized that he had made a mistake in that he had misinterpreted the sketch plan which placed the point of impact in accused’s lane as opposed to his finding that the point of impact was in the complainant’s... More
Criminality, particularly of the violent type, is often associated with daftness. That perception is however slowly proving less and less accurate. The sophistication with which some crimes are being committed in recent times smacks of the advent of an avant-garde criminal world. Investigators and prosecutors must keep abreast with such developments lest they are left struggling to link criminals to the crimes. In this case, a man doing everything to fend for his family was murdered in cold blood yet there was no one with a clue as to who had killed him. The suspects were remotely connected to the... More
The accused person stood trial before this court on a charge of murder, as defined in Section 47(1) of the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act [Chapter 09:23] (the Criminal Law Code). The charge stemmed from the death of Hillary Bhenge, which occurred on the 20th of November 2022 at Mashona Queen 2, Mukaradzi, Mt Darwin. The accused entered a plea of not guilty to the charge and also tendered a limited plea of culpable homicide, as defined in section 49 of the Criminal Law Code. During the proceedings, the parties engaged in further deliberations and reached an agreement on... More
The accused (30) faces a charge of murder as defined in s 47(1) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act [Chapter 9:23] (the Criminal Law Code). The allegations are that on 3 October 2021 and at the Council market in Unit J Seke, Chitungwiza, the accused unlawfully and with intent to kill, stabbed Ernest Makwembere ( (21) with a broken piece of glass on the neck thereby causing injuries from which the said Ernest Makwembere (the deceased ) died. More
The 5 accused appeared before us on a charge of murder as defined in section 47(1) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, Chapter 9:23. They pleaded not guilty. The state’s case is that on 30 March 2021 the 5 were part of a seven member team of police officers tasked with tracking down and arresting the now deceased who was a suspect in a spate of robberies around Bulawayo and Esigodini area. Armed with AK 47 rifles they went to the now deceased’s home where they barged into his bedroom, apprehended him and proceed to assault him indiscriminately.... More
The four accused persons are facing one count of unlawful entry in aggravating circumstances as defined in s 131 (2) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act [Chapter 9:23] and one count of murder as defined in s 47 of the same Act. More
A seventeen-year-old teenager died of five gunshot wounds, one in the head, three in the thorax region and one on the thigh at the hands of the accused person on the 9th of May 2020 at house stand number 732 Rudland, Orange Groove Chinhoyi. An arrest was made close to five months later, on the 28th of September 2020 resulting in murder charges in contravention of section 47(1) of the Criminal Law Reform and Codification Act [Chapter 9:23] being preferred on the accused. Interestingly, bail was granted on the following day on initial remand. More
The accused was arraigned before this court on a charge of murder as defined in s 47 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, [Chapter 9:23] More
On 5 May 2009 the accused had an altercation with the deceased as a result of which the accused assaulted the deceased. The deceased was taken to Bikita, then to Silveira Hospital and subsequently to Masvingo General Hospital where he eventually succumbed and passed on on 17 May 2009. More
Innocent Bob had a fist fight with the deceased Isaac Tsingano in a night club on the night of the 9th of June 2022. Issac Tsingano later died on the 11th of July 2022 at Sally Mugabe Central Hospital. The cause of death as per the autopsy report, admitted into evidence as exhibit 2, was tripartite. It was stated as brain damage, brain abscess and head trauma. As a result, accused was arrested and charged with the murder of the deceased in terms of s47 (1) of the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act [Chapter 9:23]. More
The accused are all facing one count of attempting to defeat or obstruct the course of justice. None of the accused tendered a plea. Instead an application was launched on behalf of all of them by Advocate Mehta with the concurrence of all counsel. In the application the accused seek that the State furnishes them with certain documents which are in its possession. More
The accused appeared before the court charged with the crime of murder as defined in s 47 of the Criminal Law (Codification & Reform) Act, [Chapter 9:23]. The allegations were that on 26 December 2018, the accused acting with intent to kill or realizing that his conduct might result in death assaulted Stella Karidza at Tsiga village Chief Marinda, Maramba with a switch all over the body thereby causing injuries which resulted in the death of the said Stella Karidza. When the charge was put to the accused, he replied that although he admitted the charge, he did not intend... More
The accused appeared before us charged with murder as defined in section 47 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, Chapter 9:23. They all tendered pleas of not guilty. Whilst the record shows that 2 assessors sat, I must point out at this juncture that one of the assessors, Mrs. Moyo, resigned after accused 2 had closed his case. The trial thereafter proceeded with one assessor with the state and defence counsel’s consent as per section 8(1) of the High Court Act, Chapter 7:06. More
