Godfrey Mlalazi(41) has been give a 10 year prison sentence after he killed his colleague and left his body outside where it was ravaged by hyenas at Matobo National Park.
Mlalazi allegedly struck Ncube with a knobkerrie on the head and the decomposed body was discovered a week later by a search party comprising villagers and police.
Mlalazi will serve an effective seven years in jail after three years of the sentence were suspended for five years on condition that he does not within that period commit a similar offence.
State prosecutors were told that on December 8, 2014 at about 10PM, Mr Ncube, Mlalazi, Nkosiyazi Ngwenya and Knowledge Mathwasa were coming from a beer drink at Wild East Farm in Kezi.
He said later, Ngwenya and Mathwasa parted ways with Mlalazi and Mr Ncube.
A few minutes later, Mr Ncube and Mlalazi started quarrelling.
Mlalazi allegedly accused the deceased of reporting him to the police for assaulting Mathwasa the previous day.
The quarrel degenerated into a scuffle and the noise attracted Ngwenya and Mathwasa who returned to the scene and found the two men fighting.
Mr Ncube, who appeared to be on the receiving end, tried to flee but Mlalazi caught up with him and struck him on the back of his head with a knobkerrie.
Mr Ncube allegedly collapsed after running a short distance.
“Mlalazi fled the scene together with Ngwenya and Mathwasa and left Ncube lying unconscious on the ground where he later died,” said Mr Hove.
Mlalazi was given a lighter sentence after he pleaded for leniency, saying he was a sole breadwinner taking care of his two minor children.
