Murderer pleads mental issues at High court.

Togarasei Mashumba, who brutally murdered his girlfriend sometime last year pleaded mental instability at his trial at High court Harare on Monday. The accused had caused the death of his girlfriend Anna Kafura who was a married woman in Murehwa. He had then fled the crime scene only to be apprehended in Mt Darwin months after the commission of the crime.

On the fateful day in question Mashumba had a misunderstanding with his lover over her cellphone. He had accused her of hiding things from him. The two had an altercation but seemed to have resolved issues later on. The confrontation however arose again and Mashumba allegedly threatened to kill Anna. She had feared for her two children’s lives and tried to protect them by locking them inside their bedroom hut.

The following morning the blood stained body of Anna was discovered by her kids. Mashumba was nowhere in sight. He had fled to Mt Darwin. Mashumba alleed that he suffered from mental illness and had been seeking help from a traditional healer. He had then been ordered to be mentally examined but the pyschiatric report indicated that he was of sound mind during and after the commission of the offence.

The matter is still pending before Justice Tsanga at the high court. Crimes of passion are on the rise in Zimbabwe with hundreds of people losing their lives each year.