Pair jailed for culpable homicide after death of Rusape woman in freak accident

TWO men from Rusape, Manicaland province, have been jailed three years for culpable homicide following a freak accident that resulted in the death of a local woman.

The duo of Rasper Musekiwa (33) and Collen Chingaya (38) was slapped with three-year imprisonment terms when they appeared in court this week.

The State case was that on July 14, 2024, at around 1130 hours at Chimharize village, Chief Chikore, Chingaya failed to park his vehicle properly. Also, he did not engage the handbrake and left the ignition key on.

Later, it was heard, Chingaya instructed Musekiwa to remove the car keys but he, instead, turned them on prompting the engine to start. The vehicle jerked forward and hit the female victim, who sustained fractures on her pelvis and left knee. Victim died on her way to hospital due to shock from internal bleeding.

In a statement following sentencing, the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ) urged motorists to be careful to avoid unnecessary loss of lives.

“Vehicles are machines that should never be given to unlicenced people,” the NPAZ warned.