Zimbabwean Serial Killer Sentenced To Eight Life Terms In South African Prison
In a heart-wrenching and tragic case that has shaken the communities of Seshego, Lebowakgomo, and Mankweng, Zimbabwean national Themba Prince Willard Dube has been found guilty of the most heinous of crimes: the kidnapping and murder of not one, not two, but seven innocent and unsuspecting women. The verdict was delivered on Tuesday morning by the Limpopo High Court: Polokwane Division, sending shockwaves throughout the courtroom and beyond, NewZimbabwe reports.
Originally hailing from the small village of Gwanda Mpaya in Zimbabwe, Dube stood before the court facing a barrage of charges, including but not limited to, contravention of the Illegal Immigration Act 13 of 2002, as well as robbery with aggravating circumstances. However, the most serious charges levied against him were undoubtedly the seven counts each of kidnapping, rape, and murder, as well as defeating the ends of justice and entering the country illegally.
Throughout the trial, Dube pleaded not guilty to all of the charges except for the contravention of the Illegal Immigration Act 13 of 2002, despite having reportedly confessed to the crimes soon after his initial arrest. For months, he has been held in custody since his apprehension by the Seshego Community Against Crime and Gangsterism organization on October 29, 2021, after they discovered bloodied clothing belonging to some of the victims in a rented room in Seshego.
Despite the overwhelming evidence against him, it was not until the verdict was delivered that the full extent of Dube’s atrocities became apparent. He was found to have positively linked to one of the murders after being caught with a cellphone belonging to a missing woman. Furthermore, he reportedly took the police to the locations where he had dumped his victims’ bodies, many of which were in such a decomposed state that forensic testing was required to determine their identities.
The gruesome nature of these crimes has undoubtedly sent shockwaves throughout the community and beyond as they struggle to come to grips with the brutality of these heinous acts.