Obvious Matake was not asked to plead when he appeared before Harare magistrate Evelyn Mashavakure.
He was advised to approach the High Court for bail application since he is facing a third schedule offence.
He will be back in court on March 1 pending finalisation of investigations.
It is the State’s case that sometime in December last year, the now deceased proposed love to Rutendo Zinyama, who stays with Matake.
The court heard that Rutendo is the daughter of the deceased’s girlfriend, Mazamanga Elizabeth.
It is alleged that Rutendo told Matake that the deceased had proposed love to her.
This did not go down well with Matake, who told Rutendo to pretend as if she had accepted his proposal.
It is further alleged that Matake told Rutendo to lure the deceased into her room.
The deceased agreed and entered Rutendo’s room. He started undressing her, and Matake and Tashinga Mhungu, who is still on the run, budged into the room.
It is alleged that Matake and Mhungu accused the man of sleeping with the girl’s mother and her at the same time.
They started assaulting him with sticks and bottles.
It is alleged that they took about two hours assaulting the deceased telling him that they wanted to teach him a lesson.
After the long attack, Matake and Mhungu carried the now deceased, who could no longer walk, and dumped him at the cemetery.
He was found lying writhing in agony and rushed to hospital.
It is alleged that on January 10, his health deteriorated and he was rushed to the hospital by his wife, but he died upon admission.
Matake fled when he saw the police approaching him for the first time, despite them firing a warning shot.
He was later apprehended and detained.
Matake is an ex-convict and the State submitted that he has an unquenchable thirst to commit crime, hence he should not be granted bail.
Meanwhile in another matter, a 37-year-old man also appeared in court facing murder charges.
George Hungwe is being accused of killing a fellow reveller during an altercation.
It is alleged that on December 31 last year, the now deceased bought a bottle of whisky at a shebeen and took another bottle of whisky belonging to another patron and vanished.
The court heard that other patrons followed him to his place and accused him of stealing whisky.
They took him back to the shebeen where he had a misunderstanding with Hungwe, who owns a pool table at the same premises.
It was stated that Hungwe assaulted the man and left him lying on the ground.
The man was escorted from the shebeen by other patrons.
The following day, the body of the man was found hanging from the window with a deep cut on the left thigh and foot.
Investigations led to Hungwe’s arrest.
Hungwe denied the charges in court.
“Yes, I understand the charges, but how it transpired is different from what actually happened,” he said.
The magistrate advised him to wait for trial.
Essel Zinhiva appeared for the State.
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