HARARE – Three inmates at the Chikurubi Prison Psychiatric Unit have appeared in court facing murder charges after allegedly restraining and suffocating a fe...
HARARE – Three inmates at the Chikurubi Prison Psychiatric Unit have appeared in court facing murder charges after allegedly restraining and suffocating a fellow inmate, Bornington Tanganyika, on August 6.
Tafadzwa Musenami, Panashe Mategude and Godfrey Zikumwa appeared before Harare provincial magistrate Ruth Moyo on Friday. The magistrate advised the three accused to apply for bail at the High Court.
The three inmates are accused of killing Tanganyika, who was being held at the same psychiatric unit. The allegations were presented in court by the State, and the accused persons remain facing charges at this stage.
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According to the State’s case, the incident happened in Cell 9 at the Chikurubi Prison Psychiatric Unit, where Musenami, Mategude and Zikumwa were admitted together with Tanganyika.
The court heard that at about 7.15pm on August 6, the three accused allegedly accused Tanganyika of being violent before joining together to restrain him.
The State alleges that the three inmates tied Tanganyika’s hands behind his back and restrained his legs while he was lying on the floor facing down.
“The accused persons then tied the complainant’s legs and hands behind his back using blanket straps while he was lying on the floor facing down,” the State alleged.
The prosecution further alleges that Tanganyika’s head was covered with his jacket and a towel. The State told the court that this resulted in Tanganyika suffocating to death.
The allegations mean that the case centres on the circumstances surrounding Tanganyika’s death inside the psychiatric unit and the actions allegedly taken by the three accused before his death.
The matter was subsequently reported to the police, according to the State, leading to the arrest of Musenami, Mategude and Zikumwa.
The three accused have now been brought before the courts to face the murder allegations. Their appearance before the magistrate forms part of the legal process, and the allegations against them have not been determined by a court.
The magistrate advised the accused persons to approach the High Court if they wish to apply for bail. No information was provided in the report indicating whether a bail application had been filed or granted.
The case involves inmates who were admitted to the Chikurubi Prison Psychiatric Unit, a facility that accommodates prisoners requiring psychiatric care. The unit has previously been the subject of court proceedings involving inmates accused of serious offences.
Court records show that cases involving alleged offences committed by inmates at the Chikurubi psychiatric facility have previously reached the High Court. In one 2022 case, Rifias Mandiko was accused of killing fellow inmate Tapiwa Alhwisi Nduna while detained at the Chikurubi Maximum Psychiatric Unit.
The courts have also dealt with cases involving the mental state of accused persons held at Chikurubi. Zimbabwean law provides for special verdicts in circumstances where an accused person is found to have been mentally disordered at the time an offence was committed.
However, the current case involving Musenami, Mategude and Zikumwa is at the charge stage. The allegations presented in court concern the death of Tanganyika and the circumstances in which he was allegedly restrained and suffocated.
The case also highlights the legal process that follows a death allegedly caused by other inmates in a correctional facility. Police investigations led to the arrest of the three accused, after which they appeared before the magistrates’ court facing murder charges.
At this stage, the State’s allegations remain allegations. The three accused are entitled to due process and a fair hearing as the case proceeds through the courts.
The prosecution will have to present its evidence in accordance with the law, while the accused persons will have an opportunity to respond to the allegations against them.
The court’s decision on any future bail application and the eventual outcome of the murder case will determine the next stages of the proceedings.
For now, Musenami, Mategude and Zikumwa remain accused of murder following the death of Tanganyika at the Chikurubi Prison Psychiatric Unit on August 6.
The case is being handled through the courts, with the accused having been advised to seek bail from the High Court.
