A FARM worker has appeared in court and has been remanded in custody to April 7 on charges of strangling his employer at Esperance Farm in Marondera and then concealing the corpse in the bedroom for four days, while trying to sell the irrigation pipes.
Tawanda Sithole (21) did not flee the house after allegedly
killing farmer, Mr Christopher Mubvuma (50), but simply dumped the corpse under
a sack on a bedroom floor while passing the word in the area that he had piping
to sell, an activity that raised suspicions among those who came to buy but
could not see the farmer.
Ms Patience Takarina, one of the potential buyers, found
that odd and was not convinced by Sithole’s explanation that Mr Mubvuma had
gone to visit relatives, and she alerted his sister, Ms Sarah Mubvuma (53) of
Unit K in Chitungwiza, who came out to the farm and found the body in the
bedroom.
Police then arrested Tawanda Sithole (21) on allegations of
killing Mr Mubvuma. It remains unclear why he killed his employer. Mr Mubvuma
employed Sithole last year as a worker and the two resided at the plot
together.
On Thursday last week, at around 8pm, Sithole reportedly
came from the grazing lands and found Mr Mubvuma preparing super in the kitchen
hut. He then allegedly sat on a stool behind Mr Mubvuma, picked up a rope and
strangled him. Allegedly, he then dragged Mr Mubvuma’s body from the kitchen
hut to his bedroom where he dumped it on the floor and covered it with a sack.
On Sunday at 5pm, Ms Takarina after hearing that polythene
irrigation pipes were for sale visited the farm and finding Mr Mubvuma missing
disbelieved the story that he was visiting a relative, since it was unlikely
that he would have left a young worker to make the deals. Ms Sarah Mubvuma was
called and she visited the home the next day, on Monday this week, found a bad
stench and then, searching the house, stumbled upon her brother’s body in the
early stages of decomposition.
A report was immediately lodged with ZRP Marondera Rural
and CID Marondera attended the scene where Sithole was then arrested. The body
was taken to Marondera Hospital Mortuary for post-mortem.
Sithole appeared in court on Wednesday and was remanded in
custody to April by Marondera magistrate Ms Patience Chirimo.
He was advised to apply for bail at the High Court.
Prosecutor in the case was Ms Zvikomborero Chidavaenzi. Herald
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