Kwekwe Tenant Stabs Landlord To Death During Rent Eviction Row
A tenant in Kwekwe has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after fatally stabbing his landlord during a violent eviction attempt over outstanding rentals. The High Court in Bulawayo found Victor Moyo guilty of killing his landlord, Prayer Banda, during a midnight confrontation on 5 July 2021.
A Midnight Confrontation Over Outstanding Rentals
According to The Herald, the dispute happened at House Number 1953 in Mbizo, where Banda stormed into his tenant’s room demanding that Moyo pay his outstanding rentals and vacate the property immediately.
Witnesses said Banda was shouting and threatening to remove Moyo by force if he failed to pay. The confrontation escalated into a scuffle after Banda barged into the tenant’s room.
During the struggle, Moyo drew a knife and stabbed Banda once in the chest. The wound was fatal.
Moyo denied deliberately killing his landlord. He told the court he acted out of confusion.
He said:
“I thought he was an intruder. I did not know it was my landlord. I only pushed an unknown man out of my room.”
Judge Rejects Defence
Justice Lucy Mungwaru dismissed Moyo’s defence, saying it was a fabrication. She said his testimony was riddled with contradictions and lacked sincerity.
In her ruling, she said:
“The court observed the offender engaging in a sequence of performances, preaching to the gallery, playing the victim, and then displaying rebelliousness, all aimed at avoiding responsibility.”
The judge further noted that Moyo showed no remorse throughout the proceedings.
Family’s Pain And Sentence
The deceased’s sister, Grace Banda, delivered a moving victim impact statement.
She said:
“We have lost a beloved family member. What pains us more is the lack of remorse shown by Moyo and his family.”
She urged the court to impose a tough penalty to reflect the seriousness of the offence.
Justice Mungwaru accepted that the landlord’s aggressive conduct contributed to the escalation but stressed that the sanctity of life must always come first.
She ruled:
“People who act in the way the offender did and end up causing loss of human life must appreciate that it is not possible to escape punishment.”
Moyo was convicted under aggravating circumstances and sentenced to 15 years in prison.
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The post Tenant Kills Landlord For Trying To Evict Him Over Unpaid Rentals appeared first on iHarare News.
