Chief’s children jailed in land row
September 23, 2014 Crime & Courts
jailGeorge Maponga in Masvingo
Five sons of Chief Chikwanda of Masvingo East have been jailed for a combined 24 years by a regional magistrate for severely assaulting a man they accused of encroaching into their father’s area of jurisdiction. The brothers – Alois (41), John (46), Philimon (23), Zacharia (22) and Shadrach (19) – of Dromore Village in Chikwanda communal lands and a fellow villager, Fanuel Mazodze (70), left Edmore Makore (40) of the same village for dead after attacking him with logs, a knife and a hoe.
Makore was left hospitalised after the assault.
Chief Chikwanda and Edmore’s father, Chief Makore of Gutu, are involved in a turf battle over control of Dromore Farm which used to be owned by a white farmer and is tucked in an area along their common border.
Masvingo regional magistrate Mrs Judith Zuyu last week jailed Alois, John and Fanuel to an effective six years each after convicting them of attempted murder.
Mrs Zuyu had sentenced the trio to nine years behind bars each, but conditionally suspended three years.
She then jailed Philimon, Shadrach and Zacharia to an effective four years each for also playing a role in the attempt to kill Makore.
The State had charged seven people for the attempt on Makore’s life, but one of the accused, Abinel Marevakare (40), was discharged due to lack of evidence.
The Chikwanda siblings together with Mazodze, who were represented by Mr Isaac Muzenda of Muzenda & Partners, denied the attempted murder charges, but were nailed owing to overwhelming incriminating evidence.
Prosecutor Ms Moreblessing Rusere said on January 8 this year, Makore was ploughing a disputed piece of land in Dromore village when he was confronted by Judha Chikwanda demanding to know why he was working on a traditional sacred day (chisi) as per the tradition of the Chikwanda people.
Makore told off Judha, insisting that the area was under the jurisdiction of his father, Chief Makore, who observed the traditional sacred day on a different day.
Judha went home and alerted the accused who teamed up and confronted Makore who was with his wife.
The six started attacking him with logs, a hoe and a knife resulting in him sustaining deep cuts all over the body.
They left him unconscious and he was later rushed to hospital by other villagers and a report was made to police leading to the arrest of the five Chikwanda siblings and their accomplice. A medical report produced in court indicated that Makore had been attacked with a hoe and a knife on the head.