Lufuno Mulaudzi (22) and Ntakadzeni Vincent Mulambanzhe (26) from Dzwerani village will spend two and 20 years in jail for assault and murder respectively. Their cases were finalised in the Venda High Court last Wednesday.

The incident relating to the case took place at Dzwerani village during the night of September 2, last year. The court heard that Mulaudzi and Mulambanzhe were walking together in the street during the night of the incident.

They met the deceased, Nthambeleni James Nemabaka, who was in the company of his friend, Edward Ramasunga. The deceased and Ramasunga were on their way home. The court further heard that Mulambanzhe asked the deceased and Ramasunga as to where they were going. Before any of them could respond to the question, Mulambanzhe produced a knife and stabbed the deceased in the chest. He fell down and died on the spot. The court further heard that while Mulambanzhe was stabbing the deceased, Mulaudzi was assaulting Ramasunga with the handle of a panga to the head.

Mulambanzhe vanished from the scene after the incident. He was arrested at his girlfriend’s home at Hankovani village a few days after incident. Mulaudzi was arrested at his Dzwerani home the following day. Mulaudzi was sentenced to two years in prison for assault.

His co-accused, Mulambanzhe, was sentenced to 20 years in jail for murder. The accused appeared before Judge Hetisani while Adv Mbambadzeni Manwadu represented Mulaudzi. Adv Lucky Thomu represented Vincent Mulambanzhe.