admin
Danisa Masuku
FURIOUS that his relative was “spreading lies about him in the community,” a man allegedly attacked his uncle with an axe before setting his bedroom hut, car and granary on fire.
In a frenetic two hours, a frenzied Nqobizitha Moyo from Gwayi village in Nyamandlovu pulled all the stops to fix his uncle, Thulisani Chengeta (38).
Moyo allegedly axed Chengeta, burnt his property and almost decapitated a neighbour who tried to put out the fire.
For the night of terror, Moyo appeared before Bulawayo regional magistrate Dambudzo Malunga facing a charge of attempted murder and two counts of malicious property damage.
He pleaded not guilty to all the charges and was remanded out of custody to 6 February.
The court heard that Moyo, who was visibly drunk, met his uncle, Thulisani Chengeta (38), on 16 November last year at around 8pm.
It is said he confronted him and accused him of spreading lies about him in the community.
The court further heard that an argument broke out and at the height of the altercation, Nqobizitha struck Chengeta with the back of an axe on the shoulder.
Leaving Chengeta for dead, Moyo dashed to Chengeta’s home where he set a bedroom hut, car and granary on fire.
As a thick plume of smoke billowed from Chengeta’s homestead, a concerned neighbour- who was not named in court- rushed towards the scene.
However, his good intentions were met with chilling menace when Moyo, who was brandishing the axe, charged at him with evil intent.
With his life at stake, the neighbour ran like the wind toward a police station with Moyo hot on his heels.
The neighbour outpaced the crazed Moyo and reported the incident leading to his arrest.
In his defence, Moyo disputed the version of events narrated in the court.
“He is my paternal uncle and that makes me respect him. I never tried to kill him. What happened is that he found me talking to a fellow villager Mandla Moyo and he stood between the two of us.
“He pointed at me with his middle finger while asking me what I was doing. He produced an okapi knife and tried to stab me with it. I grabbed his arm and wrestled with him before I took the knife from his tight grip.”
Online Reporter