Shumirai Zhou
GWERU – Polite Tekwane (22) of Marere village under Chief Mukoka, Gokwe appeared before Gweru High Court Judge Justice Martin Makonese facing charges of culpable homicide following the death of Zanele Ngwenya in a bury alive game.
Tekwane, whom the State had chosen to charge with culpable homicide instead of murder, pleaded guilty and said he did not intend to kill the girl since they were playing. He was sentenced to four months in prison which were wholly suspended on condition that he does not commit any crime involving violence for the next five years.
Prosecutor Tafadzwa Mpariwa told the court that Tekwane and the deceased were pupils at Muyambi Primary School. On September 12, 2010 the two were among other pupils sent home from school for non-payment of fees.
On their way home, they passed through Mandisarara River to play the sand burying game; taking turns to bury and exhume each other.
Tekwane dug a shallow pit in the sand and got hold of the deceased who was only eight-years-old and buried her. He laid the deceased on her stomach, sat on her back and started covering her body, including the head, with sand.
The young girl tried to free herself but failed as Tekwane would press her head down until she was too weak to keep trying.
Another pupil noticed that Tekwane had buried the girl’s head and decided to rescue her but was threatened by the accused who later left the scene leading to the victim’s death due to suffocation.
The deceased’s body was discovered by other school pupils who then made a report to the police leading to Tekwane’s arrest.
On November, 15 2010, Dr E. T. Manyarara examined Ngwenya’s body and concluded that the cause of death was suffocation.local
