Emmanuel Mahembe, a 37-year-old man from Shurugwi, has been sentenced to two life terms in prison for the cold-blooded m_rder of two girlfriends and th3ft of their vehicles.
The High Court in Gweru handed down this verdict after convicting him of the two m_rder incidents that took place between 2021 and 2022.
Mahembe’s modus operandi was to lure unsuspecting women into relationships before kill!ng them.
In one incident, he met a 37-year-old victim at Donga, Chachacha Business Centre in Shurugwi, between August 2021 and September 2022. He then m_rdered her, buried her body, and sold her Honda Fit.
“The two drove the now deceased’s motor vehicle, a Honda Fit, to Dhanga dip tank where the accused person murdered the deceased,” said the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ) in a statement.
“He wrapped the body in a blanket and buried it along Gwamamvura Riverbed before driving off in her motor vehicle. He later sold the motor vehicle.”
In another incident, Mahembe met a 35-year-old girlfriend and k!lled her after a disagreement over money. He dumped her body in a disused mine shaft and impersonated her to convince her son to send money to her Ecocash account, which he then diverted for personal use.
“Along the way, the two had a misunderstanding over money,” NPAZ said.
“The argument escalated and the accused person murdered the deceased and dumped the body in a disused mine shaft at Mutevekwi Bridge.
“After k!lling the deceased, the accused wickedly impersonated the deceased and preyed on her son’s emotional vulnerability and cunningly convinced him to send money to the deceased’s Ecocash account, which money he diverted to personal use.
“He also continued driving around in the deceased’s motor vehicle, a Honda fit.”
Mahembe’s arrest came after the relatives of the slain women became suspicious and alerted the police.
This case highlights the severity of crimes committed by individuals who prey on vulnerable victims, and the importance of justice being served
