Maravi

(NEWZIMBABWE) War veteran 'killed MDC supporter over Zanu PF taunts'

COMMENT - Now does this sound like 'politically related violence by the Mugabe regime', or a bar brawl? I feel sorry for Henry Ncube, and I think 16 years is way too long a sentence.

War veteran 'killed MDC supporter over Zanu PF taunts'
by Lindie Whiz
31/03/2010 00:00:00

AN MDC supporter was killed in a frenzied knife attack by a war veteran he had taunted for supporting Zanu PF, a court heard. Henry Ncube, 56, was jailed for 16 years on Wednesday for the May 2, 2009, murder in the Sun Yet Sen area of Kezi, Matabeleland South.

Bulawayo High Court judge Nicholas Ndou spared Ncube the hangman’s noose after finding that the war veteran had been provoked by 70-year-old Nicholas Nyathi. Justice Ndou said Nyathi’s provocation coupled with Ncube’s intoxicated state at the time of the murder amounted to extenuating circumactances.

The judge also softened the sentence after finding, in Ncube’s favour, that he had fought for his country and was in the “afternoon of his life”.

The court heard Ncube was drinking in a bar at Malaba Business Centre in Sun Yet Sen. Also in the bar was Nyathi, who was in the company of three other men.

A heated discussion on politics ensued between the two men. Ncube, the prosecution said, was taunted over his support for Zanu PF.

After losing his cool, the war veteran invited Nyathi to step out of the bar with him.

Prosecutor Thompson Hove told the court that once outside, Ncube grabbed Nyathi by the collar and drew a knife and stabbed him in the chest while simultaneously pushing him to the ground.

The stabbing continued as Nyathi wreathed in agony.
Nyathi was rushed to Tshelanyemba Hospital, then transferred to the United Bulawayo Hospitals where he died a day later.

A post mortem later found Nyathi died of haemorrhagic shock as a result of a ruptured artery in the neck caused by a stab wound. He also had stab wounds in the head.

Labels: COURTS, MDC, ZANU-PF

posted by MrK @ 7:35 PM