BULAWAYO- A Bulawayo man who spent months on remand facing a murder charge after a street altercation turned fatal was acquitted by the Bulawayo High Court after a judge ruled the state had failed to prove intent to kill.
Edson Dzipe, 45, of Cowdray Park was freed at the close of the state’s case by Justice Ngoni Nduna on Monday, bringing an end to a trial centered on a “one-punch” incident at a busy city intersection.
Dzipe, a shoe vendor, had been accused of killing 43-year-old Sobala Khumalo on May 26, 2025. The two men, both informal traders operating at the corner of 5th Avenue and Fife Street, allegedly clashed over a debt.
Dzipe, who sells shoes, bags, and clothing around the city, had earlier reported a fellow vendor, identified as Simba, to police after his merchandise went missing. Simba was arrested and ordered to compensate him US$60.
Prosecutors said the fallout angered other vendors, particularly Khumalo, who was said to be Simba’s friend.
On May 26, 2025, Dzipe went to the 5th Avenue market to collect money owed to him when he encountered Khumalo.
Khumalo was alleged to have confronted Dzipe and insulted him for causing the arrest of Simba.
The confrontation quickly escalated.
Defence lawyer Simba Mawere, in his application for discharge at the end of the prosecution case, told the trial that “during the altercation, Khumalo acted violently and aggressively towards Dzipe – “kicking him and insulting him.”
Mawere argued that as Dzipe tried to leave the scene, Khumalo struck him in the face with a clenched fist.
“In defending himself from this unlawful attack, the accused hit back, and the now deceased fell down,” Mawere said.
Dzipe maintained he acted in self-defence and had no intention to kill.
In his ruling, Justice Nduna upheld the application for discharge, finding that the state had failed to place sufficient evidence before the court on which a reasonable tribunal could convict.
“Under Section 47 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, a murder conviction requires proof that the accused intended to kill or realised there was a real risk of death and persisted,” he said.
Tsitsi Mutikwa appeared for the prosecution.
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