Man denies responsibility for burning ex-girlfriend to death

A GWERU gold panner who killed his ex-girlfriend and her cousin by setting on fire a room they were sleeping in using petrol yesterday told a judge that he was not responsible for his actions as he committed the crime while drunk.

Garikayi Zvawanda (43) allegedly poured petrol before setting a room in which his estranged live-in girlfriend Ms Nancy Loraine Sibanda and her cousin Ms Cynthia Hlabangana were sleeping at a house in Ascot suburb following a misunderstanding.

Zvawanda and his co-accused Itai Manyoka appeared before Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Nicholas Mathonsi, who is on circuit in Gweru, facing murder charges.

The duo pleaded not guilty and was remanded in custody to today for judgment.

Zvawanda said he was not responsible for his actions as he was drunk.

"I have a serious problem that started in 2014 when I was in Beitbridge that whenever I drink beer I lose my mental faculties. At one point I had to consult prophets at Johane Masowe (apostolic church) over the problem," he said.

"On the day in question I had been drinking beer since afternoon."

Zvawanda said he poured nine litres of petrol which were initially meant for use at a mine in Silobela into a room in which the women were sleeping.

He said he had suspected that Ms Sibanda was with another man in the room.

It later emerged that there was no man in the room at the time of the attack.

Manyoka, who drove Zvawanda in his car when he went to buy petrol and to Sibanda's place of residence, denied the charges saying he had just been hired.

He said he got $16 from Zvawanda as payment for hiring his vehicle.

Prosecutor, Mr Samuel Pedzisai said on December 2 last year at around 1AM, Zvawanda and Manyoka went to a service station in the city centre to buy nine litres of petrol.

"The accused persons proceeded to Zuva Petroleum filling station along Robert Mugabe way, Gweru using a Honda Fit which was being driven by the second accused Itai Manyoka where the first accused Garikayi Zvawanda paid the fuel attendant Brighton Mudiho $12 to purchase nine litres of petrol," said Mr Pedzisai.

"Acting in common purpose, the accused persons proceeded to house number 343 Fusire Road in Ascot where the first accused person broke a window before pouring the petrol into the complainant's room shouting that he wanted to kill the complainants."

He said after setting the room on fire, Zvawanda ran to the gate where Manyoka had parked his car and the two fled from the scene.

Mr Pedzisai said the duo went to the hospital where Ms Sibanda and Ms Hlabangana had been taken, but again fled after members of the public tried to apprehend them.

"They were, however, later arrested by police in the city following a manhunt," he said.

Ms Hlabangana and Ms Sibanda succumbed to the burns at Parirenyatwa Hospital in Harare on December 4 and December 6 respectively last year.