By Crime and Court Reporter
The High Court in Harare has sentenced 31-year-old tout Byson Mwachande to 20 years in prison for the murder of his friend and colleague, Michael Salimon, in a violent dispute that erupted over a shared meal.
The tragic incident occurred on 13 February 2025 at the Lyton Flyover. According to court evidence, Mwachande became enraged upon finding Salimon sharing a plate of sadza with another colleague. The offender demanded compensation for sadza that Salimon had eaten at his home earlier that day.
The argument escalated when Mwachande insisted on taking Salimon’s USD$20 share of the day’s earnings as repayment. When Salimon’s colleague refused to hand over the money, Mwachande turned violent, causing the two men to flee towards the Workington industrial area.
In a fatal pursuit, Mwachande chased the men in a pickup truck, caught up with them, jumped from the moving vehicle, and struck Salimon once on the forehead with a 470-gram stone. Salimon collapsed onto the tarmac and died instantly.
A post-mortem report confirmed the cause of death as a severe head injury, including a skull fracture and subdural haemorrhage.
Mwachande fled the scene but surrendered himself to the police two days later, on 15 February 2025.
In delivering the sentence, the court underscored the senseless nature of the crime. The case has been highlighted by authorities as a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of resolving disputes through violence, urging the public to seek peaceful means to settle disagreements
