Court Judgements
The accused person was arraigned on a charge of rape. He was
subsequently convicted of indecent assault. The record of proceedings was submitted to the
High Court for review in terms of s 57 (1) of the Magistrates Court Act [Chapter 7:10]. More
This homicide was a result of the accused and other villagers’ belief in extra judicial punishment or retribution on the victim whom they suspected of wrongdoing. The four accused appeared before us on a charge of murder as defined in s 47(1) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, [Chapter 9:23] (The Code). They are accused of having lynched the deceased to death on 11 April 2020 at Nechiva Village, of Chief Seke. The prosecutor alleges that they unlawfully and with intent to kill, or realizing that there was a real risk or possibility that their conduct may cause... More
All the ingredients of marital infidelity, sheer brutality, extreme provocation and youthful naivety are present in this matter. This matter went through all the motions of a criminal trial up to its logical conclusion. The State seemed unprepared to accept the accused’s limited plea to a lesser charge. More
This review judgment deals with the issue of whether under s 70 (1) (a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act [Cap 9:23], a male young person can be competently convicted of engaging in extra-marital sexual intercourse with a female young person.
The facts in the present case were that in April 2009 the 15 year old CF who was in Form 3 fell in love with a 14 year old form 1 girl at a secondary school where they were both attending. They first had consensual sexual intercourse in July 2009 and thereafter continued to do so on... More
The five accused persons appeared before us facing a charge of murder in contravention of s47 of the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act (Chapter 9:23). When the trial commenced the 3rd accused absconded and the trial proceeded against the 1st ,2nd,4th and 5th accused persons after a separation of trials. The state alleged that in the early hours of the 16th of December 2019 and at Plot 27 Temperly Farm, Murereka, Chinhoyi the accused persons acting in common purpose shot Reginaty Kagondo in the course of a robbery intending to kill her or realising that there was a real... More
The accused is facing charge of murder as defined in s 47(1)(b) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act [Chapter 9:23]. The allegations are that he assaulted Clint Maziofa and caused his death on 25 August 2017 at Chitambo Garage in Chinhoyi. The accused pleaded not guilty. More
Both the then 32 year old accused and the 73 years old now deceased who are son and father respectively were residents of Mhazo Village, Chief Mazungunye, Bikita. The accused was the eldest surviving child of the now deceased who then had only three surviving children.
Apparently there was a simmering dispute in the family which borders on traditional beliefs and superstition.
The dispute was centred on the allegation that the now deceased had misused some beasts belonging to the accused’s late grandmother. As a result some misfortunes had befallen the family. After consulting some traditional healers it was said... More
