AN Airforce of
Zimbabwe pilot, Tashinga Musonza (29) who allegedly brutally murdered his Gweru
based lawyer girlfriend last year was a “womaniser” who double-crossed the
deceased with two other women, one of them his subordinate at work.
This was
revealed by Musonza’s other girlfriend, Ms Nokuthula Matsikiti, who is an
officer cadet when she took to the witness stand yesterday before Bulawayo High
Court judge Justice Nokuthula Moyo.
Musonza is
facing a murder charge for allegedly killing Ms Lucy Duve (32) in a crime of
passion in November last year. He was accusing her of cheating on him with his
colleague.
Ms Matsikiti,
in her testimony, narrated how she learnt of the accused person’s shenanigans
after Ms Duve sent her a picture through WhatsApp of their boyfriend with
another rival identified as Ms Portia Topodzi.
Ms Matsikiti
said when she quizzed Musonza about the picture, he got angry and went to Ms
Duve’s house and confronted her for leaking the picture.
“On the fateful
day at about 12-midday, the deceased sent me a message saying she was fed up
with her relationship with Musonza and intended relocating to Bulawayo. I was
however, shocked when Musonza came to my house and asked me to escort him to
the deceased’s house,” she said.
Ms Matsikiti
said she initially refused to accompany Musonza but he insisted until he
managed to convince her with the blessing of Ms Duve.
“We went to the
deceased’s house where we had lunch and extensively discussed issues around our
affair. Musonza then received a call from Ms Topodzi whom he claimed was his
friend who wanted them to play a game of pool together and he left,” she said.
Ms Matsikiti
said soon after Musonza had left, Ms Duve revealed to her that their boyfriend
was having an affair with Ms Topodzi who had phoned him.
“Later in the
evening, Musonza came to my house to check when I received a picture of him
with Portia through WhatsApp. As soon as he had walked in I showed him the
picture and he got angry and told me that it was an old picture and demanded to
know where I got it,” she said.
Ms Matsikiti
said Musonza left her house and went to Ms Duve’s place where he confronted her
about the WhatsApp picture.
She told the
court that Musonza later drove to her house at around 1AM with Ms Duve and she
had bruises and struggling to breathe.
“The accused
person, who appeared visibly shaken, requested me to render first aid and I
refused and advised him to take her to hospital but he refused, saying he
couldn’t do so without a police clearance,” she said.
Ms Matsikiti
said Musonza eventually agreed to take the deceased to hospital after his other
colleagues he had also approached refused to render first aid.
“However, by
the time we took the deceased to hospital, it was already too late and she died
just before admission. Her body was taken to Gweru Provincial Hospital and
Musonza was subsequently arrested,” she said.
Dr Sanganai
Pesanai, the pathologist who examined the deceased’s body observed that the
injuries sustained were consistent with excessive force applied during the
attack.
He disputed
Musonza’s assertion on his defence outline claiming that Ms Duve sustained the
injuries after falling and hitting on a glass table.
“The deceased
had multiple head injuries, which were not consistent with a single fall. The
number of blows applied to the body was too much as evidenced by the bruises
and injuries emanating from blunt force trauma and there is also a possibility
of strangulation,” he said.
Dr Pesanai said
Ms Duve had a fractured skull, blood clots in her brain and that her lungs were
affected by the attack among other injuries.
The prosecutor
Ms Nokuthaba Ngwenya said on November 25, Musonza went to their lodgings at
around 10PM and found Ms Duve asleep. He allegedly accused her of cheating on
him with his colleague.
The two
allegedly drove to the airbase since Musonza wanted the matter clarified. They
allegedly woke up Ms Duve’s alleged lover who denied being in a relationship
with her.
Musonza
allegedly got furious and started assaulting his girlfriend.
His colleague
tried to restrain him but was overpowered before he ran away from the scene to
seek assistance from colleagues.
Upon their
return they found Ms Duve lying unconscious in a pool of blood. Musonza later
drove Ms Duve to Clay Bank Hospital in the company of two of his colleagues and
another female who was said to be Duve’s friend.
She was
pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital leading to the arrest of Musonza.
The trial
continues today when Musonza is expected to testify.
Mr Kalvern Tundu of Chihambakwe Mutizwa and Partners is
representing Musonza. Chronicle
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