A 19-year-old Bulawayo man, Melusi Nkomo, has been sentenced to an effective one year and five months in prison for a fatal road accident that resulted in the death of a Zimpapers staff member.
Nkomo, from Nketa 6 suburb, pleaded guilty to culpable homicide and driving without a valid licence. He appeared before Western Commonage magistrate Archie Wochiwunga, who delivered the sentence.
The sentence for the fatal accident will be served concurrently with a previous three-month sentence for stealing the vehicle involved.
For the culpable homicide charge, Nkomo was sentenced to 24 months in prison, with 12 months suspended for five years on the condition that he does not commit a similar offence.
He also received an additional two-month sentence for driving without a valid license.
The court heard that the accident occurred on August 3, 2025, at approximately 3:30 AM. Nkomo was driving a Toyota Hilux on Luveve Road when he veered into oncoming traffic near Marondera Poly Clinic, commonly known as Emachipsini.
The vehicle collided head-on with a motorcycle ridden by Silas Bhunu, a Chronicle staffer, who was travelling in the opposite direction. Bhunu sustained severe injuries and died at the scene.
Nkomo’s vehicle was carrying eight passengers, none of whom were injured. The prosecution, led by Audrey Kufandikanwe, said that Nkomo was driving without a license at the time of the collision.
