News / Local
Pirate Taxi driver 'cop killer' jailed ten years
05 Jun 2015 at 08:54hrs | Views
A pirate taxi driver who dragged to death a police officer who wanted to arrest him for illegal pirating sometime in October last year has been slapped with a ten year jail term for culpable homicide by the Bulawayo High Court judge.
Farai Zimunya (37) of Queens- Park West in Bulawayo who was arrested in October 2014 and has been in custody since then following the alleged murder incident appeared before Bulawayo High Court Judge Justice Lawrence Kamocha charged with culpable homicide.
At the close of the state case he was convicted and sentenced to an effective ten years in jail.
Allegations making his charge are that on October 7, 2014 at 5.20pm the police officer Godsave Chingwe was on duty in a police uniform doing traffic enforcement duties. He was the driver of a police defender ZRP1703D. While at the intersection of George Silundika Street and 12th Avenue in Bulawayo, he saw a white Toyota Corona which was parked and loading passengers at non- designated point and it was a pirate taxi. Chingwe stopped the defender disembarked and went to the parked car where there were 3 people seated inside the car.
It is the state case that Chingwe told Zimunya that he was under arrest for carrying passengers using a non public service motor vehicle. He further advised him that the vehicle and him have to be taken to Bulawayo Central Traffic station. Chingwe then opened the front passenger door and stretched his hand to take the car keys in which half of his body was inside the car while the other part was outside.
Zimunya suddenly drove off the vehicle dangerously swerving right and left in a bid to throw away Chingwe. He hit on a parked Honda Fit at corner Fife Street and 12th Avenue. Chingwe was thrown out of the vehicle and slid underneath a parked Honda Odyssey.
Zimunya allegedly abandoned his car and fled from the scene leaving Chingwe lying on the tarmac injured. Chingwe was rushed to Mater Dei Hospital. He died on October 8 while at Galen House where he had been referred for a scan.
On October 9 Doctor Sanganai Pesanai conducted a postmortem and concluded that Chingwe died due to cardiac failure, peritonitis, ruptured small bowel and retroperitoneal hemorrhage.
Zimunya was later arrested and charged with the murder of the police officer.
Farai Zimunya (37) of Queens- Park West in Bulawayo who was arrested in October 2014 and has been in custody since then following the alleged murder incident appeared before Bulawayo High Court Judge Justice Lawrence Kamocha charged with culpable homicide.
At the close of the state case he was convicted and sentenced to an effective ten years in jail.
Allegations making his charge are that on October 7, 2014 at 5.20pm the police officer Godsave Chingwe was on duty in a police uniform doing traffic enforcement duties. He was the driver of a police defender ZRP1703D. While at the intersection of George Silundika Street and 12th Avenue in Bulawayo, he saw a white Toyota Corona which was parked and loading passengers at non- designated point and it was a pirate taxi. Chingwe stopped the defender disembarked and went to the parked car where there were 3 people seated inside the car.
Zimunya suddenly drove off the vehicle dangerously swerving right and left in a bid to throw away Chingwe. He hit on a parked Honda Fit at corner Fife Street and 12th Avenue. Chingwe was thrown out of the vehicle and slid underneath a parked Honda Odyssey.
Zimunya allegedly abandoned his car and fled from the scene leaving Chingwe lying on the tarmac injured. Chingwe was rushed to Mater Dei Hospital. He died on October 8 while at Galen House where he had been referred for a scan.
On October 9 Doctor Sanganai Pesanai conducted a postmortem and concluded that Chingwe died due to cardiac failure, peritonitis, ruptured small bowel and retroperitoneal hemorrhage.
Zimunya was later arrested and charged with the murder of the police officer.
Source - Byo24News
