Zimbabwe - Two men who assaulted and raped woman before killing her companion, sentenced to death

Two men who assaulted and raped a college student before fatally stoning her male companion, were today sentenced to death. Former Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Nicholas Ndou sent Njabulo Ndlovu and Shadreck Noel Sibanda to the gallows after finding them guilty of murder with actual intent. The defence team of Innocent Mafirakureva and Walter Nyabadza, pro deo, had raised the issue of intoxication in mitigation. They submitted that Sibanda and Ndlovu had been drinking for seven hours before they killed Themba Mafunga on March 9, 2011. Sibanda and Ndlovu are already serving 20 years each for raping the student following their conviction in 2011. After raping the woman, the court heard, Sibanda and Ndlovu fled from the scene leaving her unconscious. She had, however, positively identified Sibanda and sought help from passersby who assisted her to make a report to the police when she later regained consciousness. She gave a convincing description to the police leading to Sibanda’s arrest. Sibanda implicated Ndlovu after his arrest. In their defence, the two said they were drinking beer at Waverly Hotel at the time the incident happened.