SYDNEY MUBAIWA
GOKWE-The High Court circuit sitting at the Gokwe Magistrates Court has sentenced Edviva Muchena (46) to life imprisonment for the murder of Sambulelo Letha (29) on 1 August, 2025.
According to court records, the offender who was the deceased’s boyfriend confronted her while returning home and insisted on discussing personal matters in private.
The court heard that, during the confrontation, Muchena stabbed Letha multiple times in the neck with an okapi knife, causing her to bleed to death at the scene.
Members of the community raised an alarm after Letha failed to arrive home . Police from Gokwe attended the scene and recovered the deceased’s body and the murder weapon.
A postmortem examination conducted at United Bulawayo Hospitals in Bulawayo confirmed that the death was due to acute cardiorespiratory failure, hemorrhagic shock and lacerated neck vessels.
The court described the attack as brutal, premeditated and senseless particularly given the vulnerability of the victim.
The court imposed a life sentence underscoring society’s condemnation of gender-based violence and the sanctity of human life.
