A MARANGE Resources security guard, who shot an illegal diamond panner escaped the hangman’s noose when High Court judge Justice Charles Hungwe acquitted him of murder charges last Thursday.
BY KENNETH NYANGANI
Justice Hungwe said Leonard Simbarashe Mupawaenda, of Katuta Village under Chief Saunyama, was acting in self-defence after he was attacked with stones by hordes of illegal panners.
“He was acting in self-defence and defence of the property, he had two bullets, and he fired a warning shot and the illegal panners could not disperse as they attacked him. If he had not done that, he could have featured as the deceased,’’ Justice Hungwe said.
It was the State case that on July 3, 2014, the accused was on duty at Marange Resources mine and shot Farai Madenga once on the head, causing injuries that later killed him.
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According to the State, Madenga was in the company of fellow panners who had invaded the diamond fields.
The accused reacted angrily by firing a warning shot to disperse the panners who resisted and started pelting him with stones.
Sensing danger, the accused responded by shooting Madenga as he scared away the armed illegal panners.
Malvern Musarurwa prosecuted.