Pius Mukandi alias “Jamba” who was arrested in June last year over the callous murder of Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) activist, Moreblessing Ali, has been found guilty by the High Court.

Jamba was denying the allegations arguing that he was used as a sacrificial lamb to cool down political tempers in the Nyatsime area following bloody clashes between Zanu PF and CCC supporters.

However, High Court judge Justice Esther Muremba said there was overwhelming evidence that Jamba was the only person who argued with Ali before she went missing. Ali’s dismembered body was found stashed in a disused well at a plot owned by Jamba’s mother.

The judge said Jamba’s warned and cautioned statement accurately matched the indications he made at the crime scene, confirming that he killed Ali.

“From his warned and cautioned statement, the accused admitted he killed the deceased. The statement having been correctly confirmed by the magistrate, it means the accused is guilty,” Justice Muremba said.

The judge also said the “indications point to the accused as the person who committed the murder.”

“We are satisfied that the accused is the person who killed the deceased because he was the last person to be seen with the deceased.

“He even admitted that he walked with her for two kilometres. To allege that there were two men who followed behind them and that he left her after she collapsed due to drunkenness is just a story.

“Moreblessing Ali had disappeared from the face of the earth. It was not a case of a mistaken identity. You were wearing a yellow T-shirt not a red one as you wanted the court to believe.”

She said witnesses impressed the court as credible witnesses and gave corroborative evidence. “The accused said he did not assault the deceased at Chibanguza Night Club but evidence shows that he, indeed, assaulted her,” said the judge as Jamba shook his head in dispute while in the dock.

“On the fateful night you were aggressive. Evidence led from State witnesses shows that you were violent and no one was able to restrain you from hitting the deceased.”

She said residents feared for their lives with Kirina Mayironi sneaking out while Ali was attacked. The judge said the body was found at Jamba’s mother’s homestead when coincidentally he had absconded to Hurungwe. She said the fact that he did not say goodbye to his mother and his sister showed that he was running away from justice.

“It is our ruling that the confirmed warned and cautioned statement is admissible,” Justice Muremba said it was common cause that Jamba was at Chibanguza Night Club were Ali and her friend were drinking beer.

“It is common cause that the accused and the deceased interacted and their interaction was not in the positive. It is also common cause that Ali did not go home after drinking at the night club on May 24.

“Her body was found on June 11, dumped in a disused well, a place approximately 6 kilometres from where she was last seen alive.

“The person who discovered the body was the accused’s mother. You (Jamba) never disputed that the clothes belonged to Ali. We take note that this was not disputed in your evidence in chief. If it was not you who killed her, you would not have explained that the knife is blue.” The judge said Jamba described the knife with accuracy leaving no doubt that he was the one who used it to dismember Ali’s body.

“Your defence was not that strong to deny the allegations. The defence should have all material detail that would be important to exonerate you. In a murder trial you should state from the onset if you dispute the identity of the alleged victim,” the judge said.

The judge said it was clear that the murder was not politically motivated. Ali’s body was found dumped in a well in a decomposing state at Jamba’s mother’s homestead more than two weeks after she went missing. The body was cut into pieces before it was stashed in sacks and dumped in a well.

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