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| Guilty of murder….Chakanetsa Kambarami |
Mark
Chavunduka
A 36-year-old who shocked
many people by killing a taxi driver at Backpackers Rest lodge in Masvingo back
in June 2019 was this week found guilty of murder and was sentenced to 21 years in prison
by High Court judge Justice Garainesu Mawadze.
Chakanetsa Kambarami was given an 18-year sentence
for murder and four years for stealing the deceased Josiah Rimai’s Toyota Fun
Cargo. One year was suspended on condition of good behavior.
It was the State’s case
that on June 02, 2019 at around 09:00hrs, Kambarami and his wife went to
Masvingo Polytechnic College bus stop where they boarded the now deceased’s
pirate taxi ostensibly to go to Great Zimbabwe Monuments near Nemanwa growth
point.
The now deceased Rimai was
working with his assistant one Lucky Willard Dube. On their way to Nemanwa
growth point, the accused decided to hire the now deceased’s pirate taxi for
the day and to pay the now deceased whatever fees he would make plying the
Masvingo-Nemanwa- Mashate route.
Rimai agreed and off-loaded
other passengers at Mashate after which he remained with his assistant, the
accused, and accused’s wife.
The accused then
offered to buy the now deceased and his assistant beer and they then spent much
of the day drinking and roasting meat at Nemanwa growth point. Later that day,
they went to Backpackers Lodge where Kambarami had booked a room.
All this while,
Kambarami presented himself as a Good Samaritan, giving Rimai a pair of track
suits, a pair of tekkies and sunglasses.
They then drove to
Dunira Mall in Victoria Ranch where they had more fun drinking and braiing.
After some time, Dube
was left behind while the three drove back to Backpackers Lodge where Kambarami
later accused Rimai of proposing love to his wife before beginning to assault
him.
They then left the room
and drove away, with Kambarami continuing to assault Rimai before dumping him
along a dusty stretch of road to Sundowners Lodge outside Rujeko.
The following morning,
Rimai was found unconscious and he was pronounced dead upon admission at
Masvingo Provincial Hospital.
