A Zimbabwe Fertiliser Company (ZFC) electrician faces culpable homicide charges after he negligently crushed to death, an apprentice through turning on a company rotary machine without taking the necessary precautions.
Brian Kunaka (46) appeared before a Harare magistrate this Tuesday to answer to the charges.
It is the State’s case that on April 22, 2022 at about 1500 hours, Kunaka (46) was in charge of the switchboard room where all the fertiliser manufacturer’s machines are powered from.
Court was told he then switched on a screen rotary machine in which the now deceased Godfrey Chipoyera, who was a third year apprenticeship student attached to the ZFC Msasa branch, was still working.
This resulted in Chiponyera being crushed to death.
The State submits Kunaka did not take the necessary precautions to check whether there was anyone on the machine before switching it on.
According to State papers, Kunaka was the only one in the switchboard and there are witnesses to testify against him.
These include experts from the Nation Social Security Authority (NSSA) who also attended the scene.
The state also alleges Kunaka was found in possession of a stolen radio among other items implicating him to the case.
