SYDNEY MUBAIWA
GWERU- SENIOR High Court Judge Naison Chivayo has sentenced a Kwekwe police officer to 20 years in prison for shooting a suspected robber in Silobela.
Chivayo who was on High Court circuit in Gweru handed down the sentence to Constable Praymore Manyange (32) after finding him guilty of murder.
According to court records, Manyange was part of an investigating team in a robbery case which occurred in Silobela on 15 March, 2020.
The team visited Bhekani’s homestead whom they suspected for robbery.
Upon arrival, Manyange and two other detectives confronted Ngqabutho Moyo, a relative to Bhekani while inquiring about Bhekani’s whereabouts.
The detectives entered Bhekani’s bedroom and ordered him to get out.
It is further alleged that, Bhekani got out wielding an okapi knife and began wrestling with Cst Pious Musindo at the bedroom door.
During the fight, Manyange intervened and shot Bhekani in the chest and he collapsed. He was rushed to Kwekwe District Hospital where he was pronounced dead upon arrival.
A postmortem was carried out at United Bulawayo Hospital to determine the cause of the death and it was indicated that Bhekani’s death was as a result of acute anaemia, pulmonary, cardiac and hepatic lacerations due to the gunshot wound.
At first, the case was treated as sudden death but following an inquest, it was established that it was a murder case.
Manyange was arrested and charged with murder but he denied the allegations insisting he acted in self defence.
According to forensic evidence presented during the trial, it was confirmed that a spend cartridge found at the scene matched Manyange’s firearm.
Manyange first appeared before Kwekwe Magistrate Court on 3 March, 2021 and he was remanded in custody.
He was later released on ZWL $3 000 bail through his lawyer Innocent Hore who argued for his temporary release at the High Court.
