Killer panners jailed

FIVE gold panners — including a teenage boy from Shurugwi — have been sentenced to a combined 87 years in prison after they ripped a fellow panner’s stomach with a spear in gold turf wars.

Tinashe Mashazhu (16), Ernest Ezekiel (23), Crispen Chikwata (23), Tariro Kombora (25) and Rabson Chikwanda (35) all from Chief Banga area in Shurugwi appeared before Bulawayo High Court Judge Justice Francis Bere facing one count of murder each.

They all pleaded not guilty to murder, but admitted to a lesser charge of culpable homicide.

But Justice Bere — sitting with assessors Mrs Chipo Junior Baye and Mr Wellington Matemba — found them guilty of murder with actual intent.

Ezekiel, Chikwata and Kombora were sentenced to 20 years in prison each, while Chikwanda got 22 years and Mashazhu five years.

Passing judgment, Justice Bere said all the State witnesses managed to identify the five whom they said were armed with two spears and three machetes.

He said if they had no intention of killing Mr Jaison Luckson Maguvu, they should have rendered some form of aid when they realised that they had ripped his stomach, instead of running away.

Justice Bere said Chikwanda, who was the eldest, should have warned the youngsters of the dangers of what they were doing.

“As the court we intend to pass a message, which is loud and clear to the community that gold panners should by all means desist from using weapons and violence when solving disputes,’’ he said.