A 25-year-old gold panner who fatally struck his girlfriend
on the head with an axe after she had ended their relationship has been
sentenced to 30 years in prison.
Maxwell Msindo, who resides at number 7576/5 Tshabalala
suburb in Bulawayo, committed the crime at Pinch Mine in Inyathi and fled to
Zambia soon after killing Sharon Maphosa (28) last year in December.
He was arrested eight days later after he allegedly
approached Chief Mukuni of Livingstone in Zambia claiming to be haunted by the
deceased’s spirit as he was seeing her face at night.
Msindo asked the chief to accompany him to the police and
Chief Mukuni handed him over to cops in Victoria Falls on December 24.
Msindo however denied committing the offence when he
appeared before Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Thompson Mabhikwa on circuit
in Hwange on Friday.
He claimed that he was not in Inyathi on December 16 when
the murder took place but was on his way to Zambia.
Msindo told the court that when he approached Chief Mukuni
he only told him that he wanted to go back to Zimbabwe because his wife had
died.
Justice Mabhikwa found him guilty of murder with actual
intent and sentenced him to an effective 30 years in prison.
“The accused committed a serious offence as he senselessly
and brutally killed a woman he claimed to love because he could not stomach
rejection. The court will stop at nothing in ensuring that people know that
life is sacrosanct. The accused deserves to be removed from society,” said the
judge.
For the State, Mr Bheki Tshabalala said Msindo should be
removed from society permanently because he “has no respect for people and didn’t
show contrition as he maintained that he was not at the crime scene despite
overwhelming evidence.”
The court was told that Maphosa worked at a shop owned by
her father Mr Wilson Maphosa.
The court heard that on the fateful day, Maphosa and her
workmates closed the shop at 9PM and went to hand over cash and keys to her
father.
The workmates, Ms Tracey Mpofu, Ms Nomazulu Mnkandla and Ms
Somaphi Ngwenya told the court that Msindo waylaid the deceased near the shops.
They said they saw Msindo leaning against a precast wall
for hours before the attack but did not suspect he was planning to kill their
workmate.
The witnesses said they could not have failed to identify
Msindo because they had known him for six months.
The State case was that the deceased met her death on
December 16 last year soon after closing her shop at 9PM and passed through her
father’s home. After that they headed home at their compound.
They passed by the spot where Msindo was and he called the deceased
asking her to wait for him but she refused.
Msindo followed them and grabbed Maphosa’s hand in a bid to
stop her but she freed herself and continued walking. He then tripped her and
she fell face down. Msindo then drew an axe from his waist, sat on her back and
struck her several times on the head.
He escaped to Zambia where he later asked a local chief to
take him to court saying he was being haunted.
Maphosa was rushed to Inyathi District Hospital where she
was pronounced dead on admission.
Miss Charity Manyeza of Ndove and Associates represented
Msindo pro-deo. Chronicle
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