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Rejoyce Sibanda, Chronicle Reporter
A NATIONAL University of Science and Technology (NUST) student who was a victim of an armed robbery in Cowdray Park suburb last month is set to get an artificial eye following a surgery.
Mr Nqobile Ngwenya (23), a final year Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering student and his family were attacked by 10 armed robbers at their house where one of the robbers took a garden fork that was in the house and plucked out his eye.
Mr Moyo was axed eight times on the head as he pleaded with the armed robbers not to kill his mother.
The family retired to bed at around 10PM after he was done with his university presentation that he was supposed to submit the next day.
At around 2AM, the armed robbers pounced. Mr Ngwenya suffered severe injuries on his head and face.
The Ngwenya family has temporarily moved out of the house in Cowdray Park to a ‘safe home’ following the horrific attack.
Mr Ngwenya who has since been discharged from hospital, said he is recovering.
“I was discharged from the hospital and l am recovering well. The stitches that l had on my head from where l was axed are also healing. During the first operation that l went through, the fractured part on my right eye was restored and the whole eye which was damaged was removed and the section cleaned out,” said Mr Ngwenya.
He said he goes to a nearby local clinic for daily dressing and doctors indicated that after two to three months he will undergo an operation for an artificial eye.
Mr Ngwenya said he is ready to sit for his exams this month.
His mother, Mrs Nokuthula Ngwenya (46) said NUST covered all her son’s medical bills.
“I am grateful to NUST authorities as the university covered all the expenses for the first operation and the whole hospital bill at UBH,” said Mrs Ngwenya.
She said the university’s Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering department including students also made contributions which they handed over to her son yesterday after his review.
“I am happy and grateful for all the help and support that l received from the community members in Cowdray Park and also my churchmates who helped me to raise money for transport to visit my son at the hospital and to buy other essentials,” said Mrs Ngwenya.
NUST director of communication and marketing, Mr Thabani Mpofu said as an institution their main priority and concern is the student’s wellbeing.
“The institution has been supporting Mr Ngwenya socially, spiritually and financially. The University’s Chaplain has been visiting the family ever since the incident took place in order to check on his recovery and to give a hand whenever needed. Since he has missed out a lot in his studies, arrangements are going to be made with lecturers so that he is assisted to work on assignments and projects that are pending,” said Mr Mpofu.
He said the university is going to pay for the artificial eye operation.–@ReeSibanda
Online Reporter