Court convicts Pius Jamba of killing CCC activist Moreblessing Ali
HARARE — A High Court judge on Monday found Pius Jamba guilty of murdering Moreblessing Ali, an activist of the Citizens’ Coalition for Change (CCC).
Justice Esther Muremba delivered the verdict after a lengthy trial that began in June last year. She said the evidence against Jamba was overwhelming and proved his guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
Jamba, who was arrested in June 2022, had denied the charges. He claimed he was a scapegoat to ease political tensions in Nyatsime, where Ali’s body was found.
Muremba said Jamba’s warned and cautioned statement was a clear indication of his guilt.
“In his warned and cautioned statement, the accused admitted to killing the deceased. The statement, which was properly confirmed by the magistrate, is a clear indication of the accused’s guilt,” stated Justice Muremba. The judge also emphasized that all evidence pointed to Jamba as the last person seen with Ali before her disappearance.
The judge dismissed Jamba’s defense that he had left Ali after she collapsed due to intoxication. She said it was an unfounded story that contradicted the evidence.
Muremba pointed out several inconsistencies in Jamba’s defense, such as his claim that he was wearing a red t-shirt on the night of the incident, while evidence showed he was wearing a yellow one.
The judge also highlighted the brutal nature of Jamba’s actions, noting that witnesses had testified to his aggressiveness and the fear he instilled in people. In addition, Ali’s dismembered body was found at Jamba’s homestead while he had fled to Hurungwe without informing his family, suggesting an attempt to evade justice.
Muremba said the murder was not politically motivated, as some had speculated. She said Jamba and Ali had a negative encounter at a nightclub on the night she went missing, and Jamba admitted to killing her with a machete.
The judge said Jamba’s defense failed to challenge crucial details that could have cleared him. The court ruled that the state witnesses were credible and consistent.
Muremba acknowledged Jamba’s cooperation in leading the police to the crime scene and the well where Ali’s body was hidden. However, she said this was not enough to mitigate his sentence.
