Plumtree man kills drinking mate over a chair

MATABELELAND SOUTH - A PLUMTREE man dragged his drinking mate into a bar toilet, violently pushed him against the wall and floored him with a slap to the cheek resulting in him sustaining injuries in a fight over a chair, a Bulawayo High Court heard yesterday.

Bonani Moyo, 22, was sentenced to seven years in jail after pleading guilty to a lesser charge of culpable homicide. He was initially charged with murdering his friend, Alfred Sekera, 31, in April last year.

Passing sentence, Justice Andrew Mutema said the court had a responsibility to uphold the sanctity of human life.

"You did not waste the court's time by pleading guilty to the charge, which is a sign of remorse. However, the courts and the community at large frown at the unnecessary loss of human life and it is therefore the duty of the courts to uphold the sanctity of human life," he said.

"It is worrying that a human life was lost over a petty issue which could have been resolved amicably without the use of any form of violence and accordingly you are sentenced to seven years in jail," Justice Mutema said.

Moyo will serve an effective five years in prison after two were suspended for five years on condition that he does not commit a similar crime within that period.

Thompson Hove, prosecuting, said on April 7, last year shortly after 10PM, Moyo and Sekera were drinking beer at Kondabayakhe Sports Bar in Plumtree when a dispute ensued over a chair.

It degenerated into a fight.

"Moyo who was drunk pushed Sekera who was also intoxicated and he smashed against the wall. He then dragged Sekera to the toilet where he further assaulted him by slapping him on the face and he fell on hard surface. He sustained serious injuries," said Hove.

Soon after committing the crime, Moyo stormed out of the toilet leaving Sekera lying unconscious on the floor. The court heard that two patrons stumbled upon Sekera as they were using the toilet and they alerted police.

Sekera was taken to Plumtree District Hospital where he was transferred to United Bulawayo Hospitals.

He died a week later.

In mitigation, through his lawyer, Sifisosethu Nkomo of R Ndlovu and Company, Moyo said he was intoxicated when he assaulted Sekera.