News / National
Village head sentenced to death for fatally stabbing a woman
11 Feb 2013 at 05:46hrs | Views
A 57-year-old village head from Gokwe has been sentenced to death for fatally stabbing a 60-year-old woman from his area with a spear over a land dispute.
High Court judge Justice Martin Makonese on Friday found Ezra Manenji guilty of murder with actual intent and that there were no extenuating circumstances in the matter.
The deceased, Molly Sibanda, met her fate in October 2011 after Manenji stabbed her with a spear in the left shoulder.
The court heard that on the day in question, the deceased and 15 other villagers were clearing a piece of land as a co-operative.
The land in question had been at the centre of a dispute between the village head and one Tendai Machokoto.
However, the chief of the area, Chief Jiri, had ruled in favour of Machokoto.
On the day in question at around 9am, Manenji armed himself with a spear in the company of his son, Simon Tongoona, who had catapults.
Upon arrival, Manenji ordered the group to stop working on the land saying it belonged to his son, Tongoona.
Tongoona started pelting them with stones using his catapult while Manenji charged towards them with the spear.
The group fled, but the elderly woman was left behind and was stabbed once in the left shoulder by Manenji.
She bled profusely and died on the way to hospital.
High Court judge Justice Martin Makonese on Friday found Ezra Manenji guilty of murder with actual intent and that there were no extenuating circumstances in the matter.
The deceased, Molly Sibanda, met her fate in October 2011 after Manenji stabbed her with a spear in the left shoulder.
The court heard that on the day in question, the deceased and 15 other villagers were clearing a piece of land as a co-operative.
The land in question had been at the centre of a dispute between the village head and one Tendai Machokoto.
However, the chief of the area, Chief Jiri, had ruled in favour of Machokoto.
On the day in question at around 9am, Manenji armed himself with a spear in the company of his son, Simon Tongoona, who had catapults.
Upon arrival, Manenji ordered the group to stop working on the land saying it belonged to his son, Tongoona.
Tongoona started pelting them with stones using his catapult while Manenji charged towards them with the spear.
The group fled, but the elderly woman was left behind and was stabbed once in the left shoulder by Manenji.
She bled profusely and died on the way to hospital.
Source - newsday
