Philemon Muchapararwa was sentenced to death by the...

Philemon Muchapararwa was sentenced to death by the High Court in Zimbabwe after being found guilty of shooting two police officers at a roadblock. Muchapararwa, 38, who was convicted of murder with actual intent and theft of a motor vehicle, was sentenced to death after Justice Nicholas Ndou found there were no extenuating circumstances and therefore no option but to pass the death penalty.
Samuel Muwunganirwa, 30, also tried for murder in the same case, was found not guilty. The pair had pleaded not guilty to the murder of police officers Kasimiro Mapako and Esau Porotazio, whom Muchapararwa gunned down as they manned a roadblock along Stanstead Road in Mabelreign.
Charges against Muchapararwa and Muwunganirwa arose on March 4, 2001 when they stole a Datsun Pulsar belonging to Ms Ethel Iris Lillian outside her flat in Bulawayo.
Muchapararwa pulled out a pistol and shot the policemen who were searching the stolen car that was being driven by Muwunganirwa.
The court acquitted Muwunganirwa after it found that there was credible evidence that he did not take part in the shooting and was not aware that Muchapararwa was armed at the time of the incident.