Boy (14) up for attempted murder

A 14-YEAR-OLD boy from Jambezi in Hwange district has been charged with five counts of attempted murder after he set on fire a hut where his two grandmothers and three siblings were sleeping as punishment for not leaving him supper.

The boy, who is in Form Three at a local school, committed the offence after he returned home at night and found that his grandmother had not left him food.

In a fit of anger, the court heard, the boy used a piece of wire to tie the door before setting on fire a bedroom hut where his 86-year-old great grandmother Mrs Grace Hadebe, grandmother Ms Judith Hadebe (60), and three minor siblings aged between six and nine were sleeping.

The juvenile pleaded guilty to five counts of attempted murder when he appeared before Bulawayo regional magistrate Mr Chrispen Mberewere who presided over the case on behalf of resident regional magistrate Mr Collet Ncube who is on leave.

The boy was however, lucky to escape a custodial sentence after the court considered that he is a juvenile and is legally protected from jail life in line with the African Charter on children’s rights.

As such sentencing was postponed for five years as the court noted that a suspended sentence would be harsh on him. The juvenile boy will also be taken for counseling to reform him.

His lawyer Ms Joyline Change had pleaded for the court’s mercy saying the juvenile was doing well at school and any form of sentence would have transformed him into a criminal.

The lawyer said the boy grew up without a father as he was raised by his mother hence he acted out of emotion when he found that his grandmother had not left food for him. “He wasn’t thinking straight at that time and a suspended sentence will be harsh on him,” said Ms Change.

The boy concurred with his lawyer saying he acted out of anger. Prosecuting, Mrs Charline Murove-Gorerino said the juvenile committed a serious offence by attempting to kill his five relatives. “On January 29 the boy left home at around 11AM going to Chikandakubi about 5km away to get school notes from his classmates. He returned at 9PM when everyone was asleep and found that there was no food left for him.

“The accused went to the bedroom hut where his great grandmother, grandmother and three siblings were sleeping and used a wire to fasten the door before setting the hut on fire,” said Mrs Murove-Gorerino.

She said the boy’s grandmother was awakened by the smell of smoke. The grandmother discovered that the hut was on fire and woke the others before breaking down the door. — @ ncubeleon WOMEN now have one more HIV prevention method, a dapirivine vaginal ring which has been scientifically proven to reduce the risk of HIV.

One of the clinical trials which led to that conclusion was carried out in Zimbabwe where it was proven that the ring is more than 60 percent effective in preventing HIV.

Dubbed the ASPIRE, the clinical study conducted in three other countries enrolled more than 4 500 women aged between 18-45.

In an interview, one of the International HIV Research for Prevention Conference chairpersons, Dr Nyaradzo Mmgodi, said the vaginal ring is the answer to women who struggle with adhering to oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). “We have only recorded 3 500 women who have accessed the oral PrEP which can be addressed by making it more accessible. However, we are now working on availing the long term methods like the ring which has been proved to be 60 percent effective in one of the studies in Zimbabwe,” said Dr Mmgodi.

She said the global networks are working on various prevention methods so that women have a choice from a wide selection of tools.

“We have just finished the HOPE study which looked at the vaginal ring and ended on October 10. We are hoping results will be out in March next year. We already have interim results that show the vaginal ring when worn for a month can reduce the risk by at least 60 percent and we know it can go even higher when women use it,” Dr Mmgodi said.

She said given the UN General Assembly global target of less than 500 000 new HIV infections annually, highly burdened countries like Zimbabwe still had a long way to go. “So the application by the International Partnerships for Microbicides is still under review by the European Medicines Authority to see if we can roll out the vaginal ring. If they give a positive opinion then an application will be sent to the World Health Organisation for the prequalification process,” said Dr Mmgodi.

The dapirivine ring is similar to vaginal rings commonly used for contraception except that it contains an ARV drug - dapirivine instead.

Dapirivine belongs to a class of ARVs that prevent HIV from making copies of itself and the ring is made of flexible material which sits high inside the vagina where it slowly releases the drug over a course of the month the ring is worn. “No one HIV prevention method will suit everyone and at all times and as with contraception, the more HIV prevention options available for women, the more likely one will be used,” said the Microbicide Trials Network (MTN).

The ring was found to be well tolerated and to reduce the risk.

According to the MTN, data analysis of the HOPE study also known as the ASPIRE found no link between the dapirivine ring and cervical cancer as feared by most women. Researchers said the information should help address any concerns about the ring and help communities understand that it is an important HIV prevention method.

“Our findings suggest that use of the dapirivine vaginal ring over a two-year period is not associated with the development of abnormalities in cervical cells that could lead to cancer,” said Mr Krishnaveni Reddy from MTN.

So far, members of the public can choose from eight HIV prevention methods which have been scientifically proven to reduce risk.

These include treatment as prevention, a process where HIV positive people are treated with anti retroviral medication which upon suppressing the viral load makes it difficult for one to transmit HIV.

Other options include condoms, ART, oral PrEP, abstinence, voluntary medical male circumcision, HIV testing and counselling. — @thamamoe BULAWAYO businessman Oricious Moyo, who allegedly shot his lover’s husband resulting in his death, has approached the High Court seeking relaxation of his bail conditions.

Moyo allegedly shot and injured Tawanda “MaPecca” Moyo, a former member of Siyaya Arts Group, who later succumbed to the gunshot wounds in hospital.

He was initially charged with attempted murder and now is facing murder charges after Tawanda died last September.

Moyo, who is out of custody on $2 000 bail granted by the Supreme Court, through his lawyer, Mr Robert Ndlovu of R Ndlovu and Company, filed a chamber application at the Bulawayo High Court yesterday seeking variation of bail conditions.

In his founding affidavit, Moyo wants an order for the removal of the condition requiring him to surrender his passport, arguing that he is a businessman whose business requires him to undertake routine cross border transportation.

“The present application relates to clause 2.2 of the court order requiring me to surrender my passport to the Registrar of the High Court, Bulawayo. This application is made in terms of Rule 5 of this court’s bail rules as read with section 116 of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act.

“I am seeking to have the court order varied by the removal of that condition on the basis that I am a businessman who runs fast foods outlets and supermarkets in Bulawayo and I undertake cross border transportation,” he said.

Moyo said the business necessitates cross border travelling to monitor as well as secure stock.

“The requirement for cross border travelling is critical in the business to such an extent that failure to undertake such periodic travels has dire effects on the business. It is necessary that I make periodic cross border trips to secure clients and business deals since the base of the operations is in Johannesburg,” he said.

Moyo further contended that if granted the order he would not abscond.

“I have no intentions of fleeing the jurisdiction after being given the passport. Even after my release on bail, I have remained within the jurisdiction and I have strictly adhered to the bail conditions set out in the court order. I am also a married man who has a family in Zimbabwe and I have an obligation to support them and I submit that the variation will not prejudice the interests of the administration of justice,” he said.

According to the bail conditions, Moyo was ordered to surrender his passport and reside at his residence in Emganwini suburb in Bulawayo until the finalisation of the matter. He was also ordered not to interfere with witnesses or investigations.

The State, which was cited as the respondent, has not yet responded to Moyo’s application.

The court heard that on July 25 at around 10PM, Oricious parked his motor vehicle at his residence waiting for the gate to be opened.

He was in the company of Tawanda’s wife, Jacqueline Moyo, with whom he was allegedly having an extramarital affair. Jacqueline is also an employee at Fish and Chicken City owned by Oricious. While still parked at the gate, the now deceased confronted the pair and enquired about their relationship, the court heard.

At that moment Oricious started his car in an attempt to flee but Tawanda clung to the front passenger’s door. This prompted Oricious to produce a pistol and allegedly shot Tawanda once on the right side of the ribcage. Tawanda fell to the ground and the two who were still in the car sped off.

Oricious later reported the incident to the police accusing Tawanda of trying to rob him. Police attended the scene and summoned an ambulance which rushed Tawanda to Mpilo Central Hospital.

On August 28, an operation was conducted on Tawanda who still had a bullet lodged in his body near the spinal cord.

After the operation, Tawanda’s condition deteriorated and he was transferred to the Intensive Care Unit where he died the following day. Tawanda’s post-mortem report shows that he died due to septic shock, septic laceration, gunshot wounds and assault. — @mashnets