Man Jailed 15 Years for Log Assault

Gweru — A 35-year-old Shurugwi man has been sentenced to an effective 15 years in prison for culpable homicide after beating a stranger with a mopani log, accusing him of being a thief.

​Israel Tinashe Njovana, 35, was initially facing a murder charge arising from the death of 29-year-old Gilbert Beni, but Bulawayo High Court Judge, Justice Naison Chivayo, acquitted him of murder and convicted him on the lesser charge of culpable homicide.

The court heard that Njovana had no reasonable basis for believing Beni was a thief, despite his claims that he launched the assault after suspecting him of committing a crime.

During proceedings, Justice Chivayo pressed Njovana on what specific actions Beni had taken to provoke such suspicion.

Njovana struggled to provide a coherent explanation and grew stumped when asked to identify the conduct that had sparked his alarm.

Ultimately, the judge ruled that no reasonable justification had been advanced to support the accused's belief that Beni was a thief.

The court heard that l the incident occurred on February 17, 2026, at approximately 10pm where Njovana and his wife, Chipochashe Rugade, were at their residence at Lazy 9B, Zvamatenga, Shurugwi, when Beni arrived asking for directions to his girlfriend’s homestead.

​Njovana initially agreed to guide Beni. However, after briefly stepping into his bedroom to ask his wife if she recognised the visitor, Njovana returned outside to find Beni fleeing toward a nearby maize field.

He gave chase, apprehended Beni and dragged him back into the yard.

​The State outline detailed how Njovana bound Beni’s hands with a string, forced him to the ground and grabbed a mopani log from a dish rack before striking him repeatedly all over the body.

Rugade testified that she attempted to intervene, but could not restrain her husband.

She then placed an urgent phone call to a relative, Temptation Njovana for assistance.

Shortly after, one Precious Chandigere arrived at the scene and managed to halt the beating.

Njovana then force-marched the injured man toward his in-laws’ homestead.

Enroute, they crossed paths with Njovana’s mother, Oppah Dube, who was driving a Nissan X-Trail.

Dube told the court she had received a phone call from Temptation Njovana urging her to rush to the accused's home to stop him from attacking a stranger.

Upon meeting them on the road, Dube observed Beni’s hands still bound with string, Njovana holding the mopani log and Beni unable to speak.

Dube ordered both men into her vehicle and drove them straight to her homestead.

Njovana’s father, Claudius Njovana, along with village chairperson, Emmanuel Kuchicha, subsequently took the accused and Beni to ZRP Donga to report the incident, resulting in Njovana's immediate arrest.

Police later recovered the mopani log after Njovana led officers to the weapon.

Beni was rushed to Shurugwi District Hospital on February 18 before being transferred to Gweru Provincial Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries on February 19.

A post-mortem conducted at United Bulawayo Hospitals on February 23 determined the cause of death as severe head trauma, brain injury and assault.

Prosecutor, Thompson Hove, argued that Njovana had acted unlawfully and with extreme force when he attacked Beni with the wooden log.

Njovana was represented by defense counsel.

Justice Chivayo ruled that while the evidence failed to sustain a murder charge, Njovana’s reckless actions fully warranted a culpable homicide conviction, handing down the effective 15-year prison term.