Two Jailed 20 Years for Nyamandlovu Murder as Wife Dies Before Trial

By Percy Nhara | Southerton Business Times

BULAWAYO – Two Bulawayo men have each been sentenced to 20 years in prison for the 2021 murder of a Nyamandlovu man in a case that took a tragic turn after the victim's wife, who was accused of masterminding the killing, allegedly died by suicide before she could stand trial.

The High Court sitting at Hwange convicted Ndabezinhle Sithole (28) and Brian Matinyadze (35) for the murder of Anold Moyo (27). The pair were sentenced on 15 July 2026, nearly five years after the fatal attack at Harlesden Farm in Nyamandlovu on 31 July 2021. According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Moyo was found dead inside his kitchen hut with multiple stab wounds to the stomach, neck, back, head and face.

Court proceedings heard that Moyo's wife, Sitshengisiwe Moyo, initially reported his death to police, claiming her husband had left home with friends she did not know. However, investigations later uncovered evidence that contradicted her account. The NPA said detectives established that Sithole and Matinyadze, who were neighbours of Sitshengisiwe's mother in Mzilikazi Township, Bulawayo, had travelled to Nyamandlovu at her invitation. According to prosecutors, the two men had purportedly been invited to assist with farming activities before the murder occurred.

Investigators later linked the two men to the killing after gathering evidence during the investigation. The NPA said the accused implicated Sitshengisiwe during police interviews, prompting further investigations. Detectives subsequently recovered an axe head and a kitchen knife believed to have been used in the murder. Police also recovered Moyo's stolen mobile phone and tennis shoes, which prosecutors presented as key exhibits during the trial.

The recovered property strengthened the State's case against the two convicted men.

Prosecutors alleged that Sitshengisiwe conspired with Sithole and Matinyadze to murder her husband. However, the NPA said she allegedly died by suicide before she could appear before the courts to answer the allegations. Because of her death, the accusations against her were never tested in court, and no judicial finding was made regarding her alleged involvement in the murder. Legal experts note that under Zimbabwean law, criminal proceedings cannot continue against a deceased accused person, meaning the allegations remain unproven.

The sentencing of Sithole and Matinyadze brings the criminal proceedings against the two men to a close, concluding one of Matabeleland North's most disturbing murder cases in recent years.

Nyamandlovu murder case