Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
THE man who gunned down a St Augustine’s High School guard — Abisha Moyo — was recently sentenced to life imprisonment, while his accomplice escaped with a wholly suspended six-year jail term since he was a juvenile when they committed the crime.
The accomplice — Moses Simbarashe Moyo — should not commit a similar offence in the next five years.
Mutare High Court Judge, Justice Isaac Muzenda handed down the judgment at the close of trial last Wednesday.
Principal law officer, Mr Malvin Musarurwa prosecuted.
Abisha Moyo of no fixed abode and Moses Simbarashe Moyo, of Muchena Village under Chief Mutasa, were both found guilty of murder as defined in Section 47 (1)(a) or (b) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, Chapter 9:23.
The court heard that on December 8, 2021, and at St Augustine’s High School, Penhalonga, Abisha and Simbarashe, acting in common purpose unlawfully shot Gift Munzvandi on the right side of the hip, leading to his death moments later.
On that fateful day, at around 9pm, Munzvandi, together with other security guards and police were on duty guarding St Augustine’s High School premises. At around 2am, Munzvandi called another guard, Mr Tendai Manyau and informed him that there were intruders in the school premises.
Mr Manyau and one Constable Kagweda proceeded to the Computer Science block and met the now late Munzvandi, who informed them that the accused persons were behind the senior Chemistry laboratory.
The security personnel went in different directions in a bid to apprehend the intruders.
When the deceased was in front of the Chemistry block, he confronted the two accused persons.
Abisha Moyo, armed with a 303 rifle, shot him on the right side of the hip once and fled.
Constable Kagweda and Mr Manyau spotted them fleeing through the small gate.
They proceeded to the senior Chemistry laboratory, and found Munzvandi lying on the ground, writhing in pain.
Testifying, Mr Manyau said when they saw their colleague writhing pain, they informed the boarding master, Mr Charles Chingonzo.
Mr Chingonzo, who resides at the school quarters, testified in court that he was woken up by Constable Kagweda, who informed him that the now late Munzvandi had been shot.
They proceeded to the scene where he observed Munzvandi lying unconscious in a pool of blood, and proceeded to inform the deputy headmaster of the incident.
Mr Chingonzo, together with Constable Kagweda and Mr Manyau carried Munzvandi to the clinic at the school.
He assisted medical staff to remove the deceased’s trousers, and observed that he had a gunshot wound on the right hip.
Munzvandi regained consciousness for a short while.
When Mr Chingonzo asked him what had happened, he could only say he was badly injured.
The nurse who attended to him suggested that Munzvandi be rushed to Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital for further management.
Munzvandi was rushed to Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital by the headmaster, his deputy and the nurse.
Munzvandi died along the way.
A post-mortem was conducted, and concluded that the victim died of hypovolemic shock.
In August 2023, Abisha Moyo was arrested and he implicated his then juvenile accomplice.
