HARARE – Three former police officers who were on death row for the past nine years have breathed a sigh of relief after they were set free, thanks to the efforts of prominent lawyer and former CCC Vice President Tendai Biti.
Kudzai Madziro, Leeroy Muteyera and Ronald Sambo, who were attached to the Support Unit during their service, were jointly charged with a civilian, Emmanuel Dolosi. The quartet had been convicted of murder with actual intent in 2014, and sentenced to death.
Their lawyers, Paidamoyo Saurombe and Tendai Biti, described the development as a major milestone as the nation is moving towards the abolition of the death penalty.
The case took a significant turn in 2023 when the Supreme Court partially overturned the verdict, ruling that when the accused were sentenced in 2014, there was no law providing for the imposition of the death sentence. The matter was then remitted back for resentencing.
“The four accused were sentenced to death in 2014 after being convicted for murder with actual intent. In 2023, the Supreme Court partially overturned the verdict and ruled that when the accused were sentenced in 2014, there was no law providing for imposition of the death sentence. The matter was then remitted back for resentencing. In resentencing… the court took into consideration that the accused had spent nine years on death row and that the time spent on death row was traumatic for them as they had lived for nine years in anticipation of execution,” Saurombe said.
During the resentencing, the court considered the time the accused had already spent in jail before and after trial, and found that it was just to have the nine years spent by the accused on death row and the pre-trial detention as sufficient sentence. As a result, the accused were released.
High Court judge, Justice Hlekani Mwayera resentenced the four accused to 20 years each.
“When the 14 years that the accused spent in prison is factored in and the one-third remission given by prisons, the accused will be released, “Saurombe explained.
The former cops were convicted of killing one Edson Manembe in 2010. The State proved that the four, together with Clever Ndlovu (now deceased) and Ocean Munjeri, hatched a plan to steal building material at Gletwin Farm in August 2010.
They agreed that the four police officers, Madziro, Muteyera, Sambo and the late Ndlovu would bring their service pistols while Dolosi and Munjeri provided getaway vehicles to execute the robbery plan.
The group stormed Gletwin Farm and accosted two security guards who were manning the premises. They produced pistols and forced the duo to lie on the ground. They tied the pair’s hands and legs with shoelaces and ropes. Dolosi was assigned to guard the two as others headed for the storeroom.
Along the way they met another farm worker, Peter Munzverengu, whom they ordered to lie down. Munzverengu screamed for help and Manembe rushed to investigate, but the officers fatally shot him.
The group fled the scene without stealing anything. Manembe was taken to hospital where he died on admission.
The release of the three former police officers marks a significant step in the ongoing debate surrounding the death penalty in Zimbabwe.
