News / National
35 years jail for murdering councillor
06 Jul 2018 at 07:20hrs | Views
A VICTORIA Falls man who fatally struck a Hwange Rural District councillor with a brick in a cold-blooded murder has been sentenced to a 35-year prison term.
Admire Ndlovu (38) of Monde Village, Victoria Falls, was convicted of murder with actual intent when he appeared before Bulawayo High Court judge, Justice Maxwell Takuva during the second term of the Hwange circuit.
Justice Takuva described the murder of Phinias Dennis Thebe, councillor for Monde ward, as brutal and callous.
"Deceased tried to flee, but you waylaid him and killed him. The murder was executed in a brutal and callous manner as deceased was an innocent man minding his own business. There was an element of pre-meditation in this case. The court has realised that you are a danger to society; you were not remorseful and did not show contrition for what you had done. Murder is a serious crime that is why it attracts a penalty of death or life imprisonment," Justice Takuva said.
Ndlovu through his pro deo lawyer, a D Ncube from Legal Aid Directorate, had offered a limited plea of culpable homicide arguing that he was drunk and acted in self-defence since deceased had attacked him first.
The State, led by Memory Munsaka, said on November 24, 2017 and at around 8:30pm Thebe was chairing a water connection meeting with Morgan Dube, Langton Nkomo and Walter Ncube in a room at Monde business centre, Victoria Falls.
Ndlovu stormed into the room and asked to talk to Thebe, who refused and asked him not to disturb the meeting. Ndlovu kept on pestering the deceased resulting in Thebe dragging him out of the room.
Ndlovu later returned to the room armed with a brick and threatened to assault Thebe. Sensing danger, Thebe ran out of the room through the back door with Ndlovu in hot pursuit. The convict charged towards the deceased and struck him once on the left side of the head with the brick. The deceased fell to the ground unconscious and Ndlovu fled from the scene.
Thebe's colleagues rushed him to Victoria Falls Hospital where he was referred to Mpilo Central Hospital. He died on the way to the referral centre.
Admire Ndlovu (38) of Monde Village, Victoria Falls, was convicted of murder with actual intent when he appeared before Bulawayo High Court judge, Justice Maxwell Takuva during the second term of the Hwange circuit.
Justice Takuva described the murder of Phinias Dennis Thebe, councillor for Monde ward, as brutal and callous.
"Deceased tried to flee, but you waylaid him and killed him. The murder was executed in a brutal and callous manner as deceased was an innocent man minding his own business. There was an element of pre-meditation in this case. The court has realised that you are a danger to society; you were not remorseful and did not show contrition for what you had done. Murder is a serious crime that is why it attracts a penalty of death or life imprisonment," Justice Takuva said.
The State, led by Memory Munsaka, said on November 24, 2017 and at around 8:30pm Thebe was chairing a water connection meeting with Morgan Dube, Langton Nkomo and Walter Ncube in a room at Monde business centre, Victoria Falls.
Ndlovu stormed into the room and asked to talk to Thebe, who refused and asked him not to disturb the meeting. Ndlovu kept on pestering the deceased resulting in Thebe dragging him out of the room.
Ndlovu later returned to the room armed with a brick and threatened to assault Thebe. Sensing danger, Thebe ran out of the room through the back door with Ndlovu in hot pursuit. The convict charged towards the deceased and struck him once on the left side of the head with the brick. The deceased fell to the ground unconscious and Ndlovu fled from the scene.
Thebe's colleagues rushed him to Victoria Falls Hospital where he was referred to Mpilo Central Hospital. He died on the way to the referral centre.
Source - newsday
