GA MANOKE – The man who crushed his estranged wife with a lorry against a wall was recently sentenced to 25 years’ imprisonment by the Pretoria High Court in Nelspruit.
This incident left the community of Burgersfort and surrounding areas shocked because it happened a day before Valentine’s Day in 2012 and in full view of some of the children of Tubatse Primary School where the deceased worked as a cook.
Judge Collin Lamont found Daniel Bhuti Mzimba guilty of the murder of her estranged wife Ms Edith Eddy Moyane whom he crushed with his lorry against the kitchen wall at the school following an arguement between the two.
He sentenced him to solid 25 years for the murder and seven years for assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. The two sentences will run concurrently.
Evidence brought in court revealed that Mzimba had argued with his wife over clothes for their children. It was also heard that two exchanged heated words over the phone before he rushed to the school where Moyane was a volunteer in the school’s feeding scheme. Moyane‘s colleagues testified that Mzimba grabbed the deceased and tried to pull her into the lorry but she was able to get hold of the axe.
Ms Rose Makwana, who lives next to the school, testified that she heard the deceased screaming for help from the school’s yard and saw her holding an axe making chopping movements at Mzimba. Makwana then called for help and Mr Jani Moyane intervened. He was able to grab the deceased by hand who then fell on the ground.
Moyane tried to talk to Mzimba to leave his wife alone. The court heard that Mzimba then pretended to leave but suddenly drove his lorry to where the deceased was seated against a wall, he reversed and hit her again, knocking her against the wall which then collapsed.
Mzimba maintained his innocence during trial and the doctor who conducted the deceased post-mortem examinations was called to testify. Dr Yvonne Kgoete’s post-mortem findings revealed that the deceased died of multiple blunt-force injuries caused by a vehicle. She had surface injuries, skull fractures, traumatic injuries of the brain, rib fracture and a lacerated aorta, liver, spleen and lungs.
Judge Lamont said the accused emotions and anger overtook him, leading him to kill his wife. “This crime produced an intense fear in the victim who saw the truck coming back and again and again to hit her. This was agony knowing that you are about to die. You took the life of the mother of your child, destroying the life of the person who once loved you,” the judge added in passing sentence.
Mixed emotions were seen outside as some family members believed the judge was too lenient. Ms Annah Moyane, the deceased mother, said she was expecting a harsher sentence for the man who caused great pain to her family and her grandchildren. “I am not happy, we expected the judge to give him three life sentences,” she said.
The deceased’s sisters said, “We are not content but at least our sister will rest in peace knowing that her murderer is behind bars and this will bring closure to her children as well. We will also walk the street without fear, knowing that he is behind bars,” they said.
The school principal Mr BF Mahole said, “Justice had been be done. We believe the community will learn a lesson to respect public schools as well as women and children,” he said.
