Two armed robbers have been sentenced to life in prison for a double murder committed during a robbery on Valentine’s Day in Kwekwe.
The High Court of Zimbabwe sitting at Gokwe has sentenced Collins Jongwe and Stephen Matenganyika to life imprisonment.
Their sentence emanated from the cold-blooded murders of Kenneth Pedzisai Chirashi and Lorna Taylor Chirashi, a couple whose lives were brutally taken in their own home on Valentine’s Day 2024.
The court heard harrowing details of how the accused stormed the Chirashis’ residence in Kwekwe.
They were demanding money before viciously assaulting them.
Kenneth was strangled with a black cable and struck with a pick, while Lorna was bludgeoned with a shovel, strangled, and repeatedly hit with a pickaxe.
Incriminating evidence linked the killers to the crime, including the victim’s national ID, US$400 with matching serial numbers.
The removed vehicle plates were all found in Jongwe’s possession.
A neighbour, also testified to seeing Jongwe driving the couple’s vehicle shortly after screams were heard at the Chirashi home.
The court determined that this wasn’t just a case of robbery gone wrong, it was a premeditated act of violence, carried out without mercy.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ), The court’s firm judgment sends a clear message that Zimbabwe’s criminal justice system stands resolute against violent crime and murder.
“As families and communities continue to grieve in murder cases, such verdicts offer a measure of closure.
“While no sentence can undo such a terrible loss, the long arm of justice has prevailed.”
