Tuesday, October 28, 2025 - A tenant in Kwekwe, Zimbabwe, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for fatally stabbing his landlord during a violent eviction attempt over unpaid rent. The High Court in Bulawayo found Victor Moyo guilty of killing his landlord, Prayer Banda, during a midnight confrontation on 5 July 2021
According to The Herald, the altercation occurred at House
Number 1953 in Mbizo when Banda stormed into Moyo’s room demanding that he pay
his outstanding rent and vacate the property immediately. Eyewitnesses said
Banda was shouting and threatening to remove Moyo by force if he failed to pay.
The confrontation escalated into a scuffle, during which Moyo drew a knife and
stabbed Banda once in the chest, killing him instantly.
Moyo denied intentionally killing his landlord, claiming he
acted in confusion. He told the court, “I thought he was an intruder. I did not
know it was my landlord. I only pushed an unknown man out of my room.”
Justice Lucy Mungwaru dismissed Moyo’s defence, calling it a
fabrication. She said his testimony was riddled with contradictions and lacked
sincerity. “The court observed the offender engaging in a sequence of
performances, preaching to the gallery, playing the victim, and then displaying
rebelliousness, all aimed at avoiding responsibility,” she stated.
The judge also noted that Moyo showed no remorse during the
trial. The deceased’s sister, Grace Banda, delivered a moving victim impact
statement, describing the pain the family continues to endure following her
brother’s death.
0 Comments