MASVINGO High Court judge, Justice Garainesu Mawadze’s son, Munyaradzi Junior Mawadze, was on Thursday hauled before the Harare Magistrate’s Courts facing allegations of murdering an events planner and cellphone dealer, one Sipho Ncube.

Mawadze, 22, is jointly charged with Elvin Dongo Saungweme, 22, and Dellon David Balani, 22 all from Harare.

The trio appeared in court Thursday afternoon.

Ncube went missing two weeks ago and his body was discovered on Wednesday.

The State alleges Mawadze and Saungweme admitted to the allegations before they made indications to the police on how they committed the crime.

According to the State, the trio hatched a plan to rob Ncube of his mobile phones and cash. The alleged incident happened 12 March this year.

The three allegedly approached the now deceased and lured him into their car claiming they wanted to buy three cell phones.

Ncube agreed and told them each phone cost US$1 800.

“The now deceased agreed to accompany the trio to Waterfalls and the accused diverted the route and drove along Chiremba Road passing Epworth going towards Ruwa,” the court papers read.

Whilst along Chiremba Road, they reached a secluded place where they robbed Ncube of his cellphones and an unknown amount of cash.

They also allegedly stabbed him with a knife before slitting open his throat, killing him instantly.

The three are said to have driven away and dumped Ncube’s body in Ruwa.

The accused went on to share their loot.

Ncube’s relatives became suspicious when he failed to return home and filed a police report on the same date. The court heard that in order to cover up for their offence, Mawadze sent a text message using Ncube’s cellphone alleging that he had been kidnapped.

It is state’s case that Mawadze also cleaned the bloodstained vehicle before he fled to stay with his father in Masvingo.

Another police report was made at Harare Central police station before police launched investigations which led to the recovery of the vehicle used during the commission of the crime.

Further searches were conducted at Mawadze’s place in Harare in the presence of his roommate Dylan Nira leading to the recovery of a pair of black jean trousers, white vest and a pair of white sneakers all soiled with blood.

On March 24 2020, Mawadze was arrested in Masvingo and was brought to CID Homicide, in Harare where he was interviewed.

The State said he went on to implicate his accomplices.

One the following day, further follow ups were done by CID Homicide Harare leading to the arrest of the second accused at his place of residence.

Searches were carried out in his room leading to the recovery of blood soiled clothes and one of Ncube’s cell phones. Saungweme also implicated Mawadze and Balani as his accomplices.

Saungweme and Mawadze led the police to the crime scene near Timire New Stands in Ruwa where they had dumped Ncube’s body.

They made indications which were video recorded by the detectives at the scene where the body was found in an advanced state of decomposition. ZRP Ruwa attended the scene and ferried the body to Parirenyatwa hospital for postmortem.

Balani was arrested later on Wednesday. He was found in possession of Ncube’s other cell phone.