News / National
SA-based contract killers jailed 2 years
03 Feb 2018 at 15:03hrs | Views
Two South Africa-based men hired to kill a Zimbabwean man by his jilted lover will spend the next two years in jail.
Fanuel Machando, 42, of Poortye Vaalrand, in Johannesburg and his neighbour, Elliot Ratema, 34, were convicted on charges of conspiracy to commit murder.
The State presented overwhelming evidence against them.
The trial of the two, who are not conversant in English, was conducted through an interpreter conversant with Zulu. The case was heard before Harare magistrate Josephine Sande.
Machando is Zimbabwean and hails from Gutu District under Chief Nerupiri while his co-accused is a South African national.
In delivering her ruling, Sande said offences involving use of weapons were on the rise.
She also noted the crime was premeditated, with the duo crossing the border into Zimbabwe to carry out the heinous crime.
"A clear message ought to be sent that these courts do not condone such conduct. Only a custodial sentence will justify the offence," Sande said before caging them for two years.
The complainant was Tichaona Shonhiwa, who had separated with Zanele Nkosi — a South African woman who is on the run.
Prosecutor Sebastian Mutizirwa alleged that on November 26, the duo arrived in Zimbabwe from South Africa armed with a 9mm Star pistol that had erased serial numbers.
Machando and Ratema had been given information about Shonhiwa's whereabouts and wanted to attack him in Vainona as instructed by Nkosi.
When the two arrived in Harare, they sought shelter from a squatter camp in Groombridge where they carried out surveillance on their target.
An informer residing at the camp saw one of the accused persons holding a firearm in public and informed members of the Zimbabwe National Army, who apprehended the two and recovered the pistol.
They confessed that they had been sent to attack Shonhiwa and were handed over to the police.
Fanuel Machando, 42, of Poortye Vaalrand, in Johannesburg and his neighbour, Elliot Ratema, 34, were convicted on charges of conspiracy to commit murder.
The State presented overwhelming evidence against them.
The trial of the two, who are not conversant in English, was conducted through an interpreter conversant with Zulu. The case was heard before Harare magistrate Josephine Sande.
Machando is Zimbabwean and hails from Gutu District under Chief Nerupiri while his co-accused is a South African national.
In delivering her ruling, Sande said offences involving use of weapons were on the rise.
She also noted the crime was premeditated, with the duo crossing the border into Zimbabwe to carry out the heinous crime.
The complainant was Tichaona Shonhiwa, who had separated with Zanele Nkosi — a South African woman who is on the run.
Prosecutor Sebastian Mutizirwa alleged that on November 26, the duo arrived in Zimbabwe from South Africa armed with a 9mm Star pistol that had erased serial numbers.
Machando and Ratema had been given information about Shonhiwa's whereabouts and wanted to attack him in Vainona as instructed by Nkosi.
When the two arrived in Harare, they sought shelter from a squatter camp in Groombridge where they carried out surveillance on their target.
An informer residing at the camp saw one of the accused persons holding a firearm in public and informed members of the Zimbabwe National Army, who apprehended the two and recovered the pistol.
They confessed that they had been sent to attack Shonhiwa and were handed over to the police.
Source - dailynews
