Justice finally caught up with convicted murderer Peter Dube yesterday after the High Court sentenced him to two life terms plus an additional 20 years in prison for a 2021 shooting that left two people dead and two others seriously injured.
The ruling marks the conclusion of a case that has weighed heavily on the Gweru community and the families affected for nearly four years.
Dube received life imprisonment for each of the two murder counts involving Shelton Chiduku and Gamuchirai Madungwe, who were shot at close range inside a vehicle during an altercation. On the two attempted murder charges relating to sisters Nyasha and Nyaradzo Nharingo, he was handed 10 years for each offence. The sentences will run consecutively, reflecting what the court described as the severity and calculated nature of the crimes.
Dube, who was in a polygamous marriage with Nomatter Chawana and Nyasha Nharingo, committed the crimes in April 2021.
On the fateful day, Nyasha who was in the company of her cousin Gamuchirai Madungwe and her friend Shelton Chiduku were involved in an altercation with Dube.
Dube later armed himself with gun and confronted Shelton and Gamuchirai in their vehicle and fatally shot the duo in the presence of one of his children.
He then returned to his house and shot Nyasha and Nyaradzo, leaving them seriously injured.
Dube fled the country shortly after the attack, disguising himself as a Mozambican national. He travelled as far as Ireland in an attempt to evade arrest, at one point claiming he was a 19-year-old prophet suffering from a hernia. His identity was eventually confirmed, leading to his extradition to Zimbabwe last year.
During the trial, Dube attempted to challenge his criminal responsibility, but the court dismissed his claims following a mental evaluation. He was found guilty on all counts last week.
The sentencing ends one of Gweru’s most disturbing criminal cases in recent memory, with the court emphasising that such acts of violence cannot go unpunished.
