Prominent musician Kudakwashe Hombarume, known as Chillmaster, has been banned from driving for nine months, a revised ruling handed down by Mbare Magistrate Tendayi Mukurunge. This development follows a directive from the High Court, which saw his case remitted back to the lower court for a reconsideration of punishment and a mandatory inquiry into whether he should be prohibited from driving under section 64(3) of the Road Traffic Act.

Judge President Justice Mary Zimba-Dube, on automatic review, had severely criticized the initial sentence imposed on Hombarume. The High Court had previously admonished the Mbare magistrate for initially sparing the 24-year-old unlicensed musician jail time and instead committing him to community service for culpable homicide, and a US$200 fine for driving without a licence, deeming it a "trivialisation" of the serious offense arising from road traffic accidents.

Justice Dube emphasized that the trial court had misdirected itself by treating the offense as one of "ordinary negligence" when the accused's conduct clearly demonstrated "gross negligence." The facts of the case revealed a serious breach of road safety regulations: Hombarume admitted to driving a Honda Shuttle at approximately 100 km/hr in a 60 km/h zone while unlicensed, when he tragically struck and killed 46-year-old Custon Charumbira in April.

The High Court further noted that the magistrate erred by placing undue weight on the victim impact statement from Charumbira's widow, who had recommended a non-custodial sentence after compensation, funeral expenses, and further support were pledged by the accused. Justice Dube firmly stated that "A victim impact statement cannot trump the interests of justice," and cautioned against allowing offenders to "buy themselves out of a custodial sentence simply because they can pay compensation."

In light of Zimbabwe's "high rates of accidents on our roads," Justice Dube stressed the judiciary's duty to send "a strong warning to offenders who drive without licences resulting in fatalities, that such conduct will attract censure of the courts." The initial imposition of community service was deemed not justified by the aggravating features of the case, and had the effect of "trivialising the offence of culpable homicide arising from road traffic accidents." Consequently, the High Court withheld confirmation of the original sentence, remitting the matter for review.

In his latest revised ruling, Magistrate Mukurunge imposed the nine-month driving ban on Chillmaster, effective until mid-2026, with no other new conditions, solidifying the legal consequences for his actions.