Lupane man gets 16 years for axing, burning stepmom

A 72-year-old woman survived an axe blow and being set on fire, only to die from her injuries a month later in hospital.

Mpofu's brutal attack on his stepmother

• Mpofu struck Christine Ncube with an axe at her Lupane homestead.
• He then torched her inside the kitchen hut.
• Ncube was 72 and reportedly his stepmother.
• Witnesses found her alive but critically burned.

How the case unraveled fast

• Mpofu literally called his brother to confess afterward.
• Ncube survived initially but died a month later.
• NPA evidence placed the attack on 17 May 2025.
• The High Court Circuit at Hwange handled proceedings.

Mpofu's version versus the evidence

• His defense blamed a verbal argument over grain chores.
• Mpofu claimed a burning log caused an accidental fall.
• He flat-out denied ever swinging an axe.
• Prosecutors clearly dismantled that alternative story.

Sentencing outcome

• Mpofu caught a 16-year prison sentence for murder.
• He was only 22 at the time of conviction.
• Ncube's remarks about his future allegedly sparked everything.
• Zero mitigating factors saved him from heavy time.