A tenant in Kwekwe, Zimbabwe, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for fatally stabbing his landlord during a violent eviction attempt over unpaid rent. The High Court in Bulawayo found Victor Moyo guilty of killing his landlord, Prayer Banda, during a midnight confrontation on 5 July 2021.
According to The Herald, the altercation occurred at House Number 1953 in Mbizo when Banda stormed into Moyo’s room demanding that he pay his outstanding rent and vacate the property immediately. Eyewitnesses said Banda was shouting and threatening to remove Moyo by force if he failed to pay. The confrontation escalated into a scuffle, during which Moyo drew a knife and stabbed Banda once in the chest, killing him instantly.
Moyo denied intentionally killing his landlord, claiming he acted in confusion. He told the court, “I thought he was an intruder. I did not know it was my landlord. I only pushed an unknown man out of my room.”
Justice Lucy Mungwaru dismissed Moyo’s defence, calling it a fabrication. She said his testimony was riddled with contradictions and lacked sincerity. “The court observed the offender engaging in a sequence of performances, preaching to the gallery, playing the victim, and then displaying rebelliousness, all aimed at avoiding responsibility,” she stated.
The judge also noted that Moyo showed no remorse during the trial. The deceased’s sister, Grace Banda, delivered a moving victim impact statement, describing the pain the family continues to endure following her brother’s death.