Zanu PF youths finally convicted for murder

Six Zanu PF youths including Farai Machaya, the son of Zanu PF Midlands Governor, Jason Machaya were on Monday convicted and jailed after the High Court found them guilty of the murder of MDC activist, Moses Chokuda in Gokwe in 2009.

High Court judge Justice Nicholas Mathonsi convicted the six at the end of the trial in Gweru. Farai Machaya, Abel Maposa, brothers Edmore and Bothwell Gana, Obert Gavi and Tirivashoma Mawadze, all of Gokwe Centre, were sentenced to between one year and 18 years for the murder.

Machaya, Gana brothers and Maposa were each jailed for 18 years while Gavi and Mawadze were given a suspended sentence of 12 months each. Chokuda’s family has refused to bury his remains until they obtained justice.  The trial opened on September 16.

This year in February Nehanda Radio.com reported how Chokuda’s body still lay in the metal police coffin in which it was brought to the mortuary over 2 years after his death. His father Tawengwa Chokuda said his son was “fighting his own war” and “refusing to be buried” amid mysterious circumstances.

Chokuda said although it was almost two years since his death, his son’s corpse still appeared fresh. He said he wanted 15 cattle as compensation before he could bury his son.

“The way he was killed was ruthless. He was beaten to death, tied with ropes and dragged like an animal. I think he is now fighting his own war,” he said. Chokuda said police had tried to bury his son by force after he had refused to participate in the process but they failed to move the coffin out of the mortuary.

Police spokesperson Wayne Bvudzijena said the police were aware of the case but it was not their responsibility to bury people. Chokuda said he was told by mortuary attendants at the hospital that sometimes they saw his son sitting on top of his metal coffin.

 “The coffin did not move out when about 10 police officers tried to lift it out of the mortuary to bury him against my will and without my consent,” Chokuda said.

“My son is seen alive by those who are linked to his death,” he said.“I hear he (the dead man) is herding cattle belonging to one of the suspects at a farm,” said Chokuda.

“Don’t forget you cannot stop an avenging spirit by going to jail or through the courts. Even if you die, the rest of your family that remains behind will suffer from that avenging spirit,” he said.

The late Chokuda’s mother, Gertrude, who is blind, said she was angry and would remain burdened until the day her son “comes home to rest”. “I am blind and it is painful to have a dead body in my house. It’s very painful. I thought I had found an eye but Zanu PF did this to my son,” he said.