Ex-Detective Jaison Muvevi Gets Four Life Sentences, 40 More Years
HARARE – Former police detective Jaison Muvevi has been sentenced to four life terms in prison and an additional 40 years after being convicted of four murders and four counts of attempted murder.
The High Court, presided over by Justice Gibson Mandaza, rejected Muvevi’s defence that he was mentally unfit when he committed the offences, ruling that evidence showed he understood the consequences of his actions.
According to reports by The Herald, NewsDay and 263Chat, the court heard that Muvevi had been diagnosed with mild to moderate psychosis while in detention at Chikurubi Psychiatric Unit.
However, State psychiatrists told the court that although he exhibited signs of mental illness, his condition did not render him incapable of understanding the wrongfulness of his actions.
His escape to Mozambique following the shootings was cited as evidence that he understood what he had done and was capable of making decisions.
Muvevi had denied the charges, arguing that he was mentally unstable and claiming he had been tormented by goblins and evil spirits at the time of the killings.
The court dismissed his defence and found him guilty on all counts following a trial in which 29 witnesses testified.
The four murder victims were identified as Nyarai Round, Chrispen Kanerusine, Inspector Maxwell Hove and Munashe Majani.
The killings and attempted murders were linked to a series of shootings across Harare, Wedza and Mutare.
Kanerusine, a religious leader, was shot dead at an apostolic shrine in Wedza in January 2023. Inspector Hove, who was the officer-in-charge of Hwedza Police Station, was also killed during the subsequent events.
Muvevi was further convicted of attempting to murder four people, including Detective Constable Tendai Mugova and a Mutare Boys High School employee.
Following the shootings, Muvevi fled to Mozambique, where he was apprehended before being returned to Zimbabwe to face the charges.
In sentencing him, Justice Mandaza reportedly described Muvevi as a sadist and psychopath, observing that he had treated his victims as objects.
The court concluded that the State had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and imposed four life sentences for the murders, together with 10 years’ imprisonment for each of the four attempted murder convictions.
The sentence means Muvevi is expected to spend the remainder of his life in prison.
