Tsholotsho injiva arrested for murder 16 years later

A 55-year-old man from Tsholotsho who skipped the country 16 years ago after allegedly committing murder has been arrested after he sneaked into the country thinking he would not be detected.

Mhlawumbe Moyo from Madlangombe line under Chief Gampu Sithole skipped the border into South Africa after he allegedly killed Russel Mpofu on 3 August 2004.

When he came back last month, thinking people could have forgotten, alert villagers reported the matter to the police leading to his arrest. This was heard last week when Moyo appeared before Tsholotsho magistrate Mr Victor Mpofu to answer to a charge of murder. He was remanded in custody to 15 February 2022 for trial.

According to the State, represented by Miss Tarisai Mujokoro, Moyo, 16 years ago, at Tsholotsho Business Centre, was drinking beer with Mpofu. The pair had a misunderstanding over an undisclosed matter and they started fighting. The court heard that Moyo picked a huge boulder and struck Mpofu several times on the head and he died on the spot.

Mpofu then fled from the scene and went on to skip the border to South Africa and has been on the police wanted list since then.

Meanwhile, a rape-accused man from Magwegwe North in Bulawayo, who has also been on the run since 2017, has been arrested.

Brighton Sibanda (35) was arrested last month when he and his friend, who is already serving jail time at Khami Prison for the same offence, raped a woman after forcing their way into her house and dragging her to a bushy area where they allegedly raped her while threatening to injure her with a screwdriver.

Sibanda last week appeared before Western Commonage Court resident magistrate Mr Shepherd Mjanja facing rape charges.

He was remanded in custody to Tuesday and advised to apply for bail at the High Court. Prosecuting, Miss Melisa Dube told the court that Sibanda and his friend, Samuel Maliza who is already serving at Khami Prison, raped the woman on 8 April 2017 at around 2am.

The court heard that on the day, the woman was at Mazaiwana Sports Bar in Magwegwe North with her husband.

When they were going home, they met a visibly drunk woman at the door and decided to help her by escorting her to her house.

The couple then proceeded to their home, but the husband left the woman and went back to the bar.

Later on during the night the woman heard a knock at the door and she opened thinking it was her husband. The court heard that in fact it was Sibanda and Maliza who confronted her and wanted to know the whereabouts of the girl she had escorted home. The two wanted her to accompany them to the girl's place, but she refused as it was late.

They then threatened to harm her with a screwdriver and she ended up agreeing. The court heard that when they reached a bushy area near Magwegwe North shops, the two dragged her off the road where they raped her and threatened to kill her.

They later disappeared into the night and the woman managed to rush back to the bar where she told her husband and reported the matter to police. She was referred to United Bulawayo Hospitals for examination.

Maliza was arrested on the day, but Sibanda had been on the run until 18 January when he was spotted in the area leading to his arrest. A medical affidavit will be produced in court as an exhibit.