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Namatirai Mashona, Chronicle Reporter
AN injiva who returned home last year and assaulted his stepmother with a knobkerrie before setting her alight causing her death has been sentenced to 10 years in jail.

Smile Ncube (36) of Nyelesi Village, Chief Matupula area accused his stepmother Antoneta Moyo (56) of being responsible for his bad fortunes in South Africa where he was based and fatally assaulted her on September 13.

Ncube was convicted of culpable homicide when he appeared before Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Martin Makonese who was on circuit in Hwange recently.

The judge suspended three years on condition that Ncube does not within that period commit an offence of a similar nature.

He was left with an effective seven years to serve.

In passing judgment, Justice Makonese said he considered that the relationship between Ncube and his stepmother was not cordial.

“The charge was reduced from murder to culpable homicide because of cumulative provocation backdating from when the accused was a young boy. The stepmother could not even welcome him when he returned from South Africa. However, the courts will always pass deterrent sentences to send a message that violence is not the way to solve domestic disputes,” Justice Makonese said.

In his defence, Ncube said he was provoked after suspecting that his stepmother was bewitching him.

Prosecuting Ms Memory Munsaka said Ncube killed Moyo in full view of other family members.

The court was told that Ncube was home on September 13 after returning from his base in South Africa, when he armed himself with a knobkerrie and hunted down his stepmother who had fled from her bedroom hut and sought refuge at another family member’s hut.

Ncube had earlier ordered his 16-year-old stepsister to guard one of the huts and was infuriated when he discovered that she had left it unattended as she went with her mother to a bedroom hut where they had sought refuge.

Ncube entered the hut and started assaulting the girl with a knobkerrie accusing her of defying his orders.

Moyo intervened and ordered Ncube to stop beating up her daughter.

“Ncube turned to Moyo and hit her with the knobkerrie several times on the head,” the court heard.

The other family members fled from the hut leaving Ncube assaulting his stepmother who was now lying on the floor. Ncube then set alight a mat and threw the burning mat at Moyo who then caught fire.

Other family members rushed back and put out the fire before pulling Moyo out of the hut.

Moyo lost an eye and ear and also sustained injuries on the nose and burns on the arm, chest and stomach as a result of the assault.

She died before she could be taken to hospital, the court heard.

A report was made to the police leading to Ncube’s arrest. — @namatirai