THE Supreme Court of Zimbabwe has upheld a High Court ruling convicting and sentencing a Bulawayo man to 20 years in prison for killing a security guard during a dispute over a snooker ball.
Blessing Mhlandla argued that his conviction and sentence were erroneous, but a Supreme Court bench led by Justice Susan Mavangira dismissed his appeal.
According to court papers, on June 18, 2024, Mhlandla was playing snooker at Giyane Sports Bar. A dispute arose after he removed the white cue ball and walked outside. The deceased, a security guard, followed to retrieve it, and Mhlandla bit him on the arm.
The security guard returned to the bar, fetched a sjambok and confronted Mhlandla again. A further altercation ensued outside, during which the guard was severely assaulted and lost consciousness.
The next day, the victim began vomiting and a police report led to Mhlandla’s arrest on June 20. The victim was admitted to Mpilo Central Hospital, where his condition worsened and he died on June 23. A post-mortem report indicated that severe brain injury, haemorrhage and skull fractures were the causes of death.
Mhlandla pleaded not guilty, claiming he fled after biting the guard and that one Tirivamwe was responsible for the fatal assault.
State witnesses testified that Mhlandla struck the deceased on the head with an unknown object. Police investigations found that Tirivamwe was only mentioned after Mhlandla learned of the victim’s death.
The High Court convicted Mhlandla, citing inconsistencies in his defence. He claimed to have fled before the guard returned with the sjambok, yet described the weapon and subsequent events — a contradiction pivotal to the rejection of his version.
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In upholding the sentence, the Supreme Court judges said: “The offences of murder in this part of the country are worrisome.
“The people are prone to violence, which they execute with disastrous consequences. Had the accused not taken the snooker ball, his engagement with the deceased would have been avoided.”
The court noted that the statutory minimum sentence for murder in aggravating circumstances is 20 years, which the High Court correctly imposed.
“Accordingly, there is no misdirection,” the judges ruled, dismissing the appeal in its entirety.
