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Lindani Dube Hwange Court Correspondent
A HIGH Court judge has described as cold, calculated and callous, the senseless killing of two workers at the late Vice President Landa John Nkomo’s ranch as he sentenced the murderer to death.
Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Andrew Mutema, sitting on circuit in Hwange, convicted Pardon Mpofu of Jumbika Village in Lupane of murdering Nhlanhla Dube, 21, and Pilate Moyo, 28, and dumping their bodies in a disused septic tank before looting their property in October last year.

On Tuesday, Mpofu, 22, claimed he momentarily lost his mind when he committed the crimes and spoke of a “loud silence” that followed the fatal striking of his victim with a hoe handle on the head at VP Nkomo’s Winterblock ranch in Insuza.

He also claimed to have seen Dube lacing his food with a dipping chemical.

Mpofu recounted how he executed Moyo, unprovoked, with a knobkerrie, moments after they had taken baths separately.

In passing sentence, Justice Mutema, with Elias Ndlovu and Elizabeth Chazanga as assessors, said the murders were executed in cold blood, well calculated and callous.

“You knew the two had gone to receive their salaries. Your denial that you never killed them for their property and money isn’t surprising because you know the consequences.

“It was unprovoked, premeditated and in cold blood. It was callous and swiftly carried out with no conscience and you have failed dismally as a witness with your fictitious defence which is economic with the truth.”

Mpofu could have avoided the death sentence had he committed the offence five months earlier because the new constitution states that the penalty cannot be imposed on a person who was 21 years old when the crime was committed.

The constitution also exempts the elderly above 70 years and women from the death penalty.

Said Justice Mutema: “You were 21 years and five months when you committed the heinous crime. The provisions of the new constitution that the death sentence should not be passed on you is nullified.”

The judge said Mpofu would remain in prison “awaiting his date of death”.

“You’ve the right to appeal the sentence at the Supreme Court. If the sentence is not revoked you will be allowed to appeal to the executive,” he said.

Asked why the death penalty should not be imposed on him, a visibly shaken Mpofu could only say, “May the court forgive me for what I did”.

Justice Mutema said Mpofu’s account differed with the postmortem findings where Dube appeared to have been hit more than once because he had a depressed skull fracture, head trauma and a fractured mandible with right pieces missing.

Moyo suffered head injuries, a deformed left skull, multiple skull fractures and lacerations from several blows to the head indicating that he was struck more than twice on the head, the court heard.

Earlier on, a standoff ensued between the State and Mpofu’s lawyer Givemore Muvhiringi of Dube and Partners who struggled to avert the death sentence for his client on the basis of his age.

Muvhiringi argued over his client’s constitutional eligibility for hanging after conviction and gave three different dates of his birth.

Proceedings had to be adjourned as the court did not have a correct record to confirm Mpofu’s date of birth until an order was given to get a copy from the Registrar’s office in Lupane which proved he was born on April 10, 1992.

In the police statement, Mpofu claimed he was born on May, 5, 1991.

An unknown date was given to Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services while the court was given September,22, 1992 by Mpofu.

Mpofu, who worked as a herdboy at Paddock 14, says he earlier had a quarrel with Dube of Bubi in the presence of Moyo of Nkayi before killing them and dumping their bodies in a septic tank.

He took $5 from Moyo which he said he used as transportation from the farm as well as their clothing, cellphones and a satchel before fleeing.

State witnesses, Dube’s girlfriend Anastasia Ndlovu, Tinashe Munsaka, 20, also a former herdboy at the farm and Moyo’s wife Lawrain Tiyanani, 21, corroborated with the state case in validation of their consensual police statements.

The wooden hoe handle Mpofu used weighed 1,1kgs and was 125cm long with a head circumference of 14cm.

The knobkerrie was 76cm in length and weighed 400 grammes.

Prosecutors say Mpofu sold himself out by going to Anastasia’s home after the double murder at around 1AM and found her asleep before using Dube’s phone for lighting.

When Anastasia asked what he wanted, Mpofu said nothing but laughed at her when she threatened to tell Dube of his trespassing, not knowing he had killed and disposed of him, the court heard.

The state led by Whisper Mabaudhi told how on October 5 last year, Dube returned to the farm from a pay break after passing through Anastasia’s residence.

Mabaudhi said Moyo was spotted by Munsaka in the company of Mpofu heading towards their work plot.

On October 7 Anastasia, who was Dube’s girlfriend, saw Mpofu wearing Dube’s cap.

“On October 8, Mpofu was spotted by Anastasia in possession of Dube’s cellphone. Later on October 14, farm manager Ndabezinhle Ncube visited Winterblock in the company of Kembo Nkomo acting on information that there was no one at the farm,” said Mabaudhi.

“Ncube discovered the bodies of the two workers in the septic tanks.”

He said on the 16th of that month at around 3AM police caught Mpofu, following a raid on a neighbour’s home at his rural Jumbika Village.

Police also recovered property belonging to Dube, Moyo, Anastasia and Lawrain along with a hoe handle and a wooden knobkerrie through Mpofu’s indications, the court heard.