Joyride with a corpse woman jailed 25 years

A BULAWAYO woman who connived with her late boyfriend and killed her friend following an all-night beer-drinking binge before they went on a joyride with the corpse, was yesterday sentenced to an effective 25 years in jail.

Musawenkosi Hara (39) of New Magwegwe suburb ganged up with her boyfriend, Farai Michael Mutasa who later committed suicide, and killed her friend Thulisile Dube (36) who had just returned from South Africa.

Hara was convicted of murder by Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Christopher Dube-Banda.

In passing the sentence, Justice Dube-Banda condemned Hara's behaviour, saying the murder was committed in aggravating circumstances.

"You stand convicted of a very serious crime. You ended the life of a person who considered you a friend and every time she came from South Africa she would look for you so that you go drinking and partying," he said.

Justice Dube-Banda said through her actions, Hara betrayed the trust bestowed on her by Dube including the deceased's family.

"You are the last person the deceased thought would cause her death. Even on the day after drinking and partying, she thought she was safe to remain with you since she considered you a friend. She allowed everybody to be dropped at their respective homes and remained with you and your boyfriend because she trusted you," he said.

"The damage you have caused to her family and her two children cannot be mended. The attack was brutal and savage."
Justice Dube-Banda said the deceased died of a violent and painful death.

"The kind of brutality you exhibited on that day is alarming indeed. You displayed a high degree of colossal such that you could not feel sorry or pity for someone who considered you a friend," he said.

Justice Dube-Banda said during the trial Hara did not show remorse and deserved a lengthy prison term for her actions.

"You came to this court and peddled falsehood after falsehood, a remorseful person does not do that. You committed an evil act and this court will hold you accountable. Accordingly, you are sentenced to 25 years imprisonment," ruled the judge.

In mitigation, through her pro deo lawyer, Mr Simbarashe Innocent Madzivire of Tanaka Law Chambers, Hara pleaded for lenience, saying she had a tough upbringing, which had a bearing on her character.

Hara, a mother of two, told the court she was the sole breadwinner taking care of her minor children including her elderly parents.

Prosecuting, Ms Caroline Mabhena said on August 17 last year, Dube returned from South Africa where she had been doing business.

Three days later, the now-deceased borrowed a car, a silver Honda Fit from her brother Thabani Freedom Dube and took her friends Shylet Sithole, Clarisa Njowera, Samkeliso Ndlovu, Sibonokuhle Mbuyisa, including Hara and her boyfriend for partying at a nightclub in Bulawayo.

The following morning at around 4am, they decided to go home and Mutasa was the one driving the car as Dube was now intoxicated.

They dropped Mbuyisa in Cowdray Park, Ndlovu in Luveve, and Sithole in Nkulumane after which Hara and Mutasa hatched a plan to kill Dube.

"Hara and her boyfriend struck Dube with an unknown object on the head resulting in her death. They then took her cellphone, a black plastic bag containing various clothes, a wristwatch, a power bank, a pair of black and white sneakers, and a brown handbag containing a passport and an undisclosed amount of cash," said Ms Mabhena.

After committing the murder, the pair placed the body in the Honda Fit, locked it and abandoned the car in a bushy area in Emganwini.

In her warned and cautioned statement, Hara tried to exonerate herself by apportioning the blame to Mutasa.
Meanwhile, the deceased's aunt, Ms Sinikiwe Dube said they demanded 14 cattle from both the Hara and Mutasa families following the death of her niece.

Mutasa's family complied while the Hara family is yet to.

"We are happy with the 25 years given to Musawenkosi Hara because she has to suffer for what she did.

"Thulisile's mother was mentally and emotionally affected following the death of her daughter and this also affected the deceased's son's performance at school," she said.