The two accused persons and 2 others were charged with murder as defined in s 47(1) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform Act [Chapter 9:23]. The two others are Nelson Mugada and Calvin Furusa and they absconded trial after being granted bail by the High Court. An application was made for separation of the trials of the two available accused persons in terms of s 190 of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act [Chapter 9:07]. The application was duly granted leading to the trial commencing against accused 1 and 2 before me.
The first accused person is a juvenile... More
These proceedings were placed before me on automatic review in terms of Section 57 of the Magistrates Court Act [Chapter 7:10] (“the MCA”).
[1]The offender appeared before the court of a regional magistrate facing a count of attempted rape as defined in terms of section 189 as read with section 65 (1) (a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act [Chapter 9:23] (“the CODE”) and another of aggravated indecent assault as defined in section 66 (1) (a) of the same CODE. He pleaded not guilty to both the charges but was convicted after a full trial. He was sentenced,... More
Two people were savagely stabbed by a sharp unspecified object on the night of the 25th of April 2025, around 9pm close to Kuwadzana Shops in Banket. One of the victims of the attack, a male adult, died after staggering a few paces from the scene of the stabbing. The other one, a female aged 37 years was seriously slit on both hands, under the right-hand arm pit and the left-hand wrist and hospitalised. The State case is made out of the evidence of this surviving witness which also led to the arrest and arraignment of the accused before this... More
[2] The facts are that the offender hired a motor vehicle from the complainant, Nkosilathi Nyika. The terms were that the offender was to return the car upon demand by the complainant. When he requested his vehicle back, the offender did not return it giving a number of excuses. That prompted the complainant to report the matter to the police and the subsequent the arrest of the offender. More
This matter once again rekindles the age -old debate on the extent to which a court may disregard or otherwise depart from the findings of an expert in a criminal trial. The record of proceedings was referred to this court of review accompanied by a note by the regional magistrate who presided over the trial. The first two paragraphs of the minute read:
“I am the trial magistrate in this case. I forward this record for review as a result of an administrative instruction on 19 September 2024 for me to do so. The basis of the review as per... More
This case makes sad reading. In one way or another, many people and institutions appear culpable for the death of Talitakumi Mangena, an infant aged only seven months and the subsequent charges of murder against Felistas Mpofu (the offender) who was its mother. The offender grew up as an orphan. Both her parents died when she knew nothing. She said she was then raised by her mother’s brother. She dropped out of school at form two presumably because the uncle could not afford her tuition. She sought employment and became a shopkeeper at a business centre called Mberengwa Turn Off.... More
If it is true that on some day God will destroy the world, then that time is nigh. Some of the crimes that we preside over suggest that Armageddon is imminent. Tapiwa Mereka (the offender) has a head but it is doubtful that he has a brain inside it. If he does, then his mind is so perverted and depraved that he should not be living amongst human beings. The crime that he committed is unconscionable and would possibly win an Oscar award for horror movies. Every one of us who took part in the trial would be thinking about... More
