A young gold panner has been slapped with a 20-year prison sentence after killing a friend in a drunken argument over the fate of an unsellable monkey. Mlindeli Siziba, aged just 21, has been condemned to two decades behind bars by the High Court for the chilling knife attack that took the life of his colleague.
The court heard that the altercation began after Siziba and the deceased, along with a third man, Mthulisi Moyo, failed to find a buyer for a monkey they had acquired. As the alcohol flowed, a quarrel erupted. The deceased suggested they should simply give the animal away, a proposition that sent Siziba into a fatal rage. Justice Kabasa, presiding with two assessors, described the motive as shockingly slight.
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Gold Panner Gets 20 Years In Prison After Killing Friend Over A Monkey
The trial revealed the cold-blooded nature of the attack. Justice Kabasa systematically dismantled Siziba’s claim that he had acted in self-defence. Evidence showed that the victim was attempting to escape when Siziba pursued him and stabbed him multiple times in the back, puncturing his lungs. The judge’s remarks in court were scathing.
“A person fleeing is no danger to anyone. The ones pursuing are the danger to the one fleeing,” Justice Kabasa stated. “What self-defence is that when the victim is attacked from the back? Why would one use a lethal weapon to stab a human being several times and aim at vital organs if the intention is not to kill?”
The court found that Siziba displayed a complete lack of remorse for his actions. After the stabbing, he left his colleague to bleed to death on a riverbank and coolly informed others that the victim was alright. His co-accused, Mthulisi Moyo, was acquitted and walked free after the bench found insufficient evidence to link him to the crime.
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A Culture of Blade Violence Condemned
Justice Kabasa turned her attention to the broader issue of knife violence plaguing communities of artisanal miners. She emphasised that the need for a deterrent punishment was paramount, outweighing any considerations of Siziba’s youth.
“The use of knives is becoming worrisome and gold panners appear to take knives as the weapon of choice. People ought to respect the sanctity of life. Life is a gift which ought not to be taken away at the hands of another,” the judge declared. Addressing Siziba directly, she added, “At 21, you are not so young to deserve a reduction of an otherwise appropriate sentence. There was nothing youthful in your conduct. The presumptive penalty is 20 years. We find no reason to depart from that.”
The 20-year prison term stands as a severe consequence for a life taken over what the judge termed a “flimsy reason.”
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The post Gold Panner Gets 20 Years In Prison After Killing Friend Over A Monkey appeared first on iHarare News.
