BOTSWANA – A Zimbabwean man was sentenced in Botswana to eight years in prison for murder, the privately-owned daily Mmegi newspaper reported on Thursday.
The sentence was backdated to 2012 when the 24-year-old man was first detained.
Thandazo Khumalo murdered Baitirele Mpoloka in 2012 after the deceased threatened to stab him with a knife at a drinking spot in Maun, the country’s tourist town..
According to court records, the deceased charged at Khumalo with a knife following an argument. Khumalo managed to overpower her, took the knife, and stabbed her instead.
Passing judgment, Francistown High Court Justice Zibane Makhwade said there were extenuating circumstances that led to the accused killing the deceased.
“A reasonable member of society should not be shocked by some of the sentences we pass. The minimum sentence of murder ranges between 10 and 25 years. A life lost can never be recovered and that is why the right to life is cherished by the constitution. All relevant factors must be considered before passing sentence,” said Makhwade.
He said that when the offence was committed the accused was only 20 years old. Furthermore, the accused was at the time taking care of his siblings and mother. Khumalo was also scheduled for an operation due to his ill health.
There had been an element of provocation which caused him to commit the offence, said Makhwade. Nonetheless, Makhwade said it was high time people were discouraged from carrying knives. Khumalo has an option to appeal the sentence within six weeks. Sapa
