A senior police officer has been jailed four years after he was convicted on the charge of attempting to murder his girlfriend for preparing dried kapenta instead of meat.
Simbarashe Sibanda, 40, who was Officer in Charge of Borrowdale Police Station, will however spend three years effective behind bars after Harare magistrate Jessie Kufa suspended one year of his sentence.
Prosecutor Chipo Matambo persuaded the court that early last year Sibanda attempted to kill the victim who he was having an extra marital affair with. It was established that the pair had a misunderstanding over relish which escalated when the complainant told Sibanda that there was no meat and she was therefore preparing dried kapenta instead.
This angered Sibanda who then lifted a pot of boiling water which was on the stove and poured it on her. The victim sustained serious burns around her neck.
“This was a simple provocation which was supposed to be handled amicably but the accused failed to control his emotions, something expected of him as a law officer,” said the magistrate before she handed down sentence.
— Kukurigo
