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Unlicensed killer kombi driver jailed 36 months

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A 22-YEAR-OLD Nyanga unlicensed commuter omnibus driver was on Wednesday sentenced to 36 months in prison after he was convicted of culpable homicide and careless driving.

A 22-YEAR-OLD Nyanga unlicensed commuter omnibus driver was on Wednesday sentenced to 36 months in prison after he was convicted of culpable homicide and careless driving.

OBEY MANAYITI

Kudzanai Nyaruwata (22) of Honde Valley was also banned from driving class two vehicles for the rest of his life.

Nyaruwata appeared before Nyanga magistrate Ignatio Mhene, who convicted him of two counts of driving without a licence and culpable homicide.

Circumstances of the matter were that on July 7 last year, Nyaruwata was driving a commuter omnibus plying the Hauna-Zindi route at about the 42km peg along Selborne-Aberfoyle Road when he stopped to drop a passenger.

The court heard that Nyaruwata alighted from the vehicle to open the passenger door, but failed to engage the handbrake thereby causing the vehicle to move backwards. The omnibus then overturned into a valley and one of the passengers aboard the vehicle sustained serious head injuries.

The passenger was rushed to hospital and died upon admission. The State submitted that Nyaruwata was negligent on the day in question. On the first charge of driving without a licence, he was slapped with six months in prison while on the second one of culpable homicide he was jailed for 36 months.

However, of the 36 months, six were suspended on condition that he would not be convicted of a similar offence in the next five years. Kelvin Mufute prosecuted.