Two men, Mayibongwe Maphosa (24) from Mbizo Village and Romeo Sezydekurire (31) from Village 5, Chief Sigodo, Silobela, were acquitted by the High Court in Gweru of the alleged murder of Qalisani Tshuma (31) from Ndabambi Village, Chief Sogwala, Lower Gweru.
According to a statement from the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the incident occurred on September 13, 2024, around 8:20 PM.
Qalisani Tshuma and his friend Thabo Sibanda were travelling in a white Iveco omnibus driven by Dennis Mdlongwa, with Maphosa and Sezydekurire as crew members.
Upon arriving at Tshuma’s homestead, a misunderstanding escalated into a physical confrontation between Maphosa and Tshuma.
The State alleged that during the altercation, Sezydekurire struck Tshuma with a shovel, causing him to fall.
When Tshuma got back on his feet, Maphosa was accused of stabbing him in the back with a knife. Maphosa then fled the scene, and Tshuma later succumbed to his injuries.
However, during the trial, evidence emerged demonstrating that Tshuma was the initial aggressor.
Witnesses testified that he brandished a knife and attacked Maphosa, who sustained a stab wound to the thigh and deep cuts on his hands.
The court ultimately concluded that Maphosa acted in self-defence and found no evidence that Sezydekurire had assaulted Tshuma at any point during the incident.
As a result, both Maphosa and Sezydekurire were acquitted of all charges.
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