Today, a Randburg magistrate is set to deliver a crucial judgment in the case of John Zvivi and Lister Sibanda, a Zimbabwean couple accused of murdering a four-year-old girl and fleeing to South Africa in 2023.
The couple, who have been fighting extradition for the past 14 months, face a murder charge in Zimbabwe for the alleged killing of baby Princess, the daughter of Sibanda’s sister.
The couple’s arrest in Bram Fischerbille, Johannesburg, followed a tip-off and the assistance of businessman Moreboys Munetsi. Their children were subsequently taken into custody by Social Welfare.
“Tomorrow, September 19, a Randburg magistrate is going to give a judgment regarding the extradition request by the Zimbabwean Government for John Zvivi and Lister Sibanda,” a source close to the case told our correspondent. “It is a very important day for the justice of the innocent child and if the court rules in the favour of the State this will open a day for them to be extradited to Zimbabwe.”
The alleged murder took place at Zvivi’s homestead in Vantage Area, Zvimba. Princess’s mother, Nomsa, had left her two daughters in the couple’s custody while she worked as a maid in South Africa.
Tragically, the couple allegedly subjected the children to horrific abuse, beating them with electrical cables and a walking stick. Princess, it is alleged, was beaten to death. Her body was then hidden in a sack and dumped in a river.
Following the alleged murder, the couple fled Zimbabwe, only to be apprehended in South Africa.
The couple has been fighting extradition, hoping to avoid facing the murder charge in Zimbabwe. If the Randburg magistrate rules in their favour, they will be released from prison immediately. However, a ruling in favour of the State will pave the way for their extradition back to Zimbabwe.
