A 39-year-old woman from Bulawayo, Musawenkosi Hara, has been handed a 25-year jail sentence on Friday for the murder of Thulisile Dube(pictured). Dube, who disappeared after a night out with friends, was later found dead in an abandoned car in August of the previous year.
Despite Hara’s denial of murder, she was convicted after a full trial at the Bulawayo High Court. Hara displayed a seemingly indifferent demeanor as Justice Christopher Dube-Banda pronounced the 25-year jail term.
Thulisile Dube’s family welcomed the sentencing. Farai Michael Mutasa, the individual accused of strangling Dube, committed suicide days after the brutal murder.
During the trial, it was revealed that Hara and Mutasa believed Dube, who was visiting family in Bulawayo from South Africa, had a substantial amount of money, up to R2 million, from an undisclosed deal in the neighboring country. The court heard that Dube had shared information about her financial windfall with Hara, who then informed her boyfriend, Mutasa.
The trio, along with three other friends, had a night of drinking at various nightclubs on August 20, concluding at Stunts in the city center at around 4 AM the next day. After dropping off friends in different locations, Dube remained in the car with Hara and Mutasa.
Hara, in her defense, attempted to shift blame onto Mutasa, claiming she played no part in the murder. She alleged that Mutasa attacked Dube after a stop to relieve herself, hitting her on the head with a stone. Hara asserted that Dube did not die immediately, and the scuffle was resolved. However, Mutasa later strangled Dube while parked near the Cowdray Park railway line.
After the murder, the pair drove with Dube’s corpse, refueled the vehicle, and eventually dumped it in Emganwini suburb. They then used public transport to return to the city center, where they continued drinking.
Hara and Mutasa sold Dube’s Samsung S20 phone to finance their binge drinking. Hara was arrested for an unrelated offense on August 22 but fled to Harare after being released on August 23.
The discovery of Dube’s body on August 23 led to Mutasa taking his own life, leaving a suicide voice note admitting his role in the murder. The court found that Dube did not have the large amount of cash her killers believed she possessed on the night of the incident.
Dube’s aunt, speaking to reporters outside the court, expressed contentment with the sentence but emphasized the irreplaceable void left by the loss of life. She revealed that Mutasa’s family had compensated them with 14 cows, while Hara’s family had not genuinely engaged with them, attempting to combine an apology with the Mutasa family’s gesture.
Hara was represented by Tanaka Rungana of Tanaka Law Chambers. Source: ZimLive.
