WHEN Danis David Konson, then aged 60 years, shot and killed his girlfriend in Jotsholo, Lupane District in 2012 and was subsequently sentenced to 25 years in jail, all hope was lost and he never imagined himself a free man after his incarceration.
Unlike the famous pair of Steven Chidhumo and Edgar
Masendeke, he never entertained the thought of escaping from prison. His story
made headlines as media houses feasted on the various events and processes that
the judiciary was presented with as he sought reprieve.
“Man shoots ex-lover 3 times, sentenced to death” was the Chronicle headline on 4 February 2014. It was later on followed
by “ConCourt orders Konson retrial.” The order by the ConCourt after he
appealed provided the man with the much-needed relief which came on December
2014 and Chronicle aptly recorded it as
‘Konson’s death sentence commuted to 25 years’.”
With the prison remitting a third of his sentence, Konson
was left with 16 years, eight months to serve before he benefited from
President Mnangagwa’s Amnesty last week after serving nine years.
“I would like to thank the President for giving us this
chance to get out of prison. It is a chance to change our lives again and I
will utilise it by being productive socially and economically. I committed
murder in 2012 and I was sentenced to death.
“Through the Constitutional Court I appealed and was
granted a second trial which then sentenced me to 25 years. I then had to serve
an effective 16 years and eight months but the amnesty came when I had served
nine years in prison. I am so happy with the gesture,” said a relieved Konson
soon after his release from Khami Maximum Prison.
Just like any other pardoned inmate Konson said he had
learnt a lot of lessons in prison with his biggest lesson being how to control
his temper.
“What I have learnt in prison is to control my temper. I
think I am more mature now as we learn a lot of things here. There are very
good facilities and the rehabilitation system is number one,” he said.
He pleaded with the family of the woman he killed for
forgiveness.
“I committed the offence in Jotsholo, Lupane. I had a shop
there. I am pleading to the family of the girl to forgive me. I said that in
court as well, that I am so remorseful for what I did,” said Konson.
For his family, it was probably one of the longest decades
of their lives, but they never neglected their father.
While his son declined to talk to the Press, the joy, the
hugs, laughter and the electric atmosphere that engulfed the moment as he
welcomed his father coming out of the big walls of Khami Maximum Prison
recently spoke volumes about how they were both feeling.
In fact, the son arrived earlier by more than an hour and
waited in his Toyota Hilux vehicle for the entire afternoon as prison officials
processed all the necessary paper work for his father to be released. Perhaps
the three hours in the car were equivalent to a minute as he probably never
anticipated that his father was going to be a free man after almost a decade of
incarceration.
“My family never gave up on me even though I lost my family
members out there and missed the burial of my mother last Sunday.
“She was 92 years old and she also used to visit me in
prison. I have seven children, two boys and five girls. Actually, one of my
sons is outside waiting for me,” said Konson as he walked away.
For Ronald Dube (33) of Cowdray Park, when he committed
murder at Emasimini Sports Bar at Cowdray Park Terminus and was subsequently
sentenced to 18 years in prison, he never really thought he will walk the land
a free man.
“I committed murder in 2012 in Cowdray Park at a drinking
spot called Emasimini. I was sentenced to 18 years and the court gave me a
remission of six years so I had to serve an effective 12 years. When I was
sentenced, I never thought I would be released back to society but I am very
happy to be released today.
I committed this offence at the age of 21 and I am now 33.
I would want to apologise to the deceased’s family for what I did,” said Dube,
who added that he was a transformed person now. Sunday News
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