By Simbarashe Mtembo |Masvingo Mirror|
MASVINGO – The High Court has acquitted a Gutu man who poisoned his younger brother for wearing his clothes and eating his food after concluding that he was mentally challenged when he committed the act.
Jefta Chaka (45) of Makonese Village, Chief Gutu, Gutu was acquitted by Justice Helena Charewa at the High Court in Masvingo on Tuesday.
Justice Charewa, however committed Chaka who is still mentally challenged to Mlondolozi Mental Health Prison for their medication and assessments.
Chaka will be released when the Mental Health Board evaluates his fitness to be released into society. Chaka laced his younger brother’s, Tatenda Chaka (30) rice with poison on July 9, 2022, at his homestead. Tatenda was found dead on the next day by Chaka’s wife, Dorica Mupindu.
Circumstances are that Chaka told Mupindu that he wanted to poison Tatenda for stealing his clothes and eating his food around 7pm.
Mupindu didn’t take Chaka seriously.
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Tatenda returned home drunk around 9pm. Chaka took a bowl of rice from the kitchen and poured some liquid from a plastic container. He then gave the food to Tatenda.
Mupindu saw Chaka pour the liquid into the food.
Tatenda began vomiting after eating a few spoons of rice. Mupindu rushed to his aid and nursed him inside the kitchen. Mupindu retired to bed and found Tatenda dead in the morning.
Mupindu informed Chaka who told her that he had poisoned Tatenda and threatened her against the disclosing the matter.
Mupindu, disclosed the poisoning to relatives at the burial of Tatenda and Police attended the scene.
A bottle that contained the poison and some rice left in the bowl by Tatenda were recovered.
Source: Nehandaradio
