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Runesu Gwidi Masvingo Correspondent
A Chiredzi man has been sentenced to life in prison by a Masvingo High Court judge after he fatally struck his father with an axe in June last year and buried his corpse in a sorghum field. Last week, Justice Garainesu Mawadze jailed Khetani Kasha (27) of Chirove village in Sengwe communal lands for life after convicting him of murdering his father with actual intent.

Khetani was jointly charged together with his younger brother Isaac Kasha(17) who, however, escaped with a warning since he was still young when the offence was committed. Isaac, who was accused of helping his brother conceal their father’s lifeless body, was charged under the doctrine of common purpose as an accessory to the crime. The two siblings denied the charges levelled against them.

Khetani Kasha was represented by Mr Johannes Ruvengo of Ruvengo and Maboke Partners, who wanted his client to be charged with culpable homicide. The court ruled that it was clear the siblings wanted to evade justice after they gave contradictory statements to the police and their lawyers after the arrest.

“From the look of things, this gruesome murder case was committed with actual intent and the accused (Khetani) deserves a severe jail term to serve as a lesson to would-be offenders,’’ said Justice Mawadze before sentencing Khetani.

Prosecutor Ms Sophia Bhusvumani told the court that on June 13 last year, around 1pm, at Chirove Village, the Kasha siblings, together with one Hardlife Makwanyele, went to harvest sorghum at their fields.

While there, the deceased had an altercation with Isaac over the latter’s reluctance to carry through a deal where he was supposed to get a goat from his father in exchange for a cell-phone. Khetani joined in the altercation, and when tempers flared, he picked up an axe and fatally struck his father on his head and neck.

Isaac took the bloodstained axe used to kill his father and cleaned it, while Khetani also hid the bloodstained shirt he was wearing. The brothers then tried to cover their father’s corpse with some grass.

Upon reaching home, they lied to their mother that their father was still working in the fields. However, after he failed to come back home, a search was conducted, resulting in the discovery of the body. A report was made to the police, leading to the arrest of the duo.