Gokwe man goes scot free after six years in remand

Shakespeare Muzavazi

Justice delayed is justice denied, this legal adage took precedence for a Gokwe man who languished in prison for six years only to be discharged owing to the lack of evidence linking him to a murder crime.

Landelani Tshuma 41 of Nemangwe village in Gokwe South was remanded in custody in 2011 after being accused of killing Gaboy Gabi by striking him with an axe and a log after a dispute over stray pigs, Gabi was aged 71 at the time of his death.

High court judge justice Martin Makonese who was in circuit at the Gweru Magistrate court discharged Tshuma after the court failed to find evidence linking him to the crime.

Prosecuting, Tafadzwa Mupariwa told the court that on April 1, 2011 at around 3 pm. Gabi’s pigs strayed into Tshuma’s homestead. Tshuma went and confronted the now deceased over the matter and a misunderstanding arose resulting in them trading harsh words.

Gabi then armed himself with an axe and struck the accused on the chin, chest and forearm.

Tshuma then ran away, after excessive bleeding Tshuma went to hospital where he was treated for the wounds, hours after the incident Gabi was found dead with his head axed.

Evidence provided by various witnesses in court proved beyond any shadow of doubt that Tshuma was in hospital when Gabi was murdered.

What led the police to arrest Tshuma was because he had a fight with Gabi before his death hence he became the prime suspect to the murder case.